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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250927
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250928
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211027T043740Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T084826Z
UID:27129-1758931200-1759017599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St George (Kevork) the Captain\, St Adoktos and St Romanos the Singer
DESCRIPTION:St George the Warrior (Sourp Kevork/Gevorg Zoravar in Armenian) is revered all over the world. He is one of the beloved saints of the Armenian Church\, whose life serves as an example of remaining faithful to God even under the harshest circumstances \nEarly Christian tradition tells us that St George was born to Christian parents in the late third century. After his father was martyred for his faith\, his mother took the little boy back to her hometown Diospolis\, now in the modern city of Lod in Israel. \nSt George became a soldier in the Roman army\, and his bravery and discipline made him the climb ranks to become a Captain. St George was steadfast in his faith\, and\, as a Christian\, refused to bring the pagan sacrifice to the Roman emperor Diocletianus\, which was venerating the emperor as a god. He was tortured and martyred around 303 AD. \nWhile Saint George was being tortured\, Alexandra\, the King’s wife\, went to the arena\, bowed before George\, and professed her faith openly. When she questioned whether she was worthy of paradise and martyrdom without being baptised\, Saint George told her\, “Do not fear\, for your blood will baptise you.” She was denounced as a Christian and imprisoned on her husband’s orders then sentenced to death. \nSt George is often portrayed slaying a dragon. Christian tradition recounts that in a certain city\, a dragon pestered the inhabitants\, demanding two sheep a day. When there were no more sheep in the village\, the vicious dragon demanded a human sacrifice. \nThe inhabitants cast lots\, and the daughter of the city’s governor was chosen. When they were taking the crying girl to the dragon’s den\, St George passed by. When he heard what was about to happen\, he decided to intervene. He followed the girl into the den\, crossed himself with prayer and slew the fire spitting dragon before it could attack. The citizens were in awe and recognised God’s powerful works. That day many were baptised and became Christians. \nSt George sets us an example in bravery\, steadfastness and strong faith. \nSt Adoktos (Adauctus) was martyred in 320 AD. He was from Ephesus and was appointed governor by Emperor Maximin. Maximin asked Callisthene (Kalistene)\, the daughter of Adoktos\, to marry him\, but her father did not want to give her to an idolater. For being Christian\, upon the King’s order\, Adoktos was deprived of his title and property and exiled to Melitene. The local governor of Melitene also failed to convert Adoktos to the heathen religion. Remaining steadfast and unshaken in his faith\, St Adoktos was beheaded. \nHis daughter Callisthene disguised herself as a young man and concealed herself in Nicomedia. She later on went to Thrace where she lodged with a family. Callisthene healed their blind daughter and the girl’s parents\, who considered Callisthene to be a man\, asked him to marry her. Then St Callisthene revealed the truth and they praised God. \nCallisthene decided to leave in order to follow an ascetic way of life with humility. At the time\, she met Constantia (Costantsa) the sister of Constantine the Great. The emperor defended and protected Callisthene and she managed to take back her father’s property and also to transfer his relics to Ephesus. She built a Church there in order to pay homage to him. \nSt Romanos the Singer (the Melodist) is considered to be the author and creator of more than 1\,000 hymns or kontakia (hymns performed in Orthodox traditions). \nAccording to legend\, Romanos (Romanus) was not at first considered to be either a talented reader or singer. He was however\, loved by the Patriarch of Constantinople\, because of his great humility. Once\, around the year 518\, while serving in the Church of the Panagia at Blachernae\, during the All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ\, he was assigned to read the kathisma verses from the Psalter. He read so poorly that another reader had to take his place. Some of the lesser clergy ridiculed Romanos for this\, and being humiliated he sat down in one of the choir stalls. Overcome by weariness and sorrow\, he soon fell asleep. As he slept\, the Theotokos (Mother of God) appeared to him with a scroll in her hand. She commanded him to eat the scroll\, and as soon as he did so\, he awoke. He immediately received a blessing from the Patriarch\, mounted the pulpit and chanted extemporaneously his famous Kontakion of the Nativity\, “Today the Virgin gives birth to Him Who is above all being….”  \nThe emperor\, the patriarch\, the clergy\, and the entire congregation were amazed at both the profound theology of the hymn and Romanos’ clear\, sonorous voice as he sang. According to tradition\, this was the very first kontakion ever sung. The Greek word “kontakion” refers to the shaft on which a scroll is wound\, hence the significance of the Theotokos’ command for him to swallow a scroll\, indicating that his compositions were by divine inspiration. St. Romanos passed away in 556 A. D \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-kevork-gevorg-the-captain-adoktos-and-romanos-the-singer-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/St-George.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250921
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250922
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211027T003755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T084443Z
UID:27120-1758412800-1758499199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of the Holy Cross of Varak (Varague)
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the feast of the Appearance of the Holy Cross on Mount Varak (Varague)\, lasting from Monday to Friday. \nBeing hidden by St Hripisime on Mount Varak\, the relic of the Lord’s Wooden Cross was found by a miracle in the 7th century and the Armenian Apostolic Church established another purely national feast dedicated to the Holy Cross\, which is known as the Holy Cross of Varak.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-the-holy-cross-of-varak-varague-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eve-of-the-Fast-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250914
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211027T001146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T083757Z
UID:27102-1757721600-1757807999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION: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. \nThe commemoration on the Eve of the Feast of Exaltation\, is of the Navagadik (Dedication) of the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) in Jerusalem. \nThe site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is identified as the place both of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. The church has long been a major pilgrimage center for Christians all around the world. \nAccording to the New Testament\, Jesus was crucified at Golgotha\, “the place of the skull” (Matt. 27:33–35; Mark 15:22–25; John 19:17–24). This has been identified as an area of abandoned stone quarries just outside the city wall of the time. \nAbout 10 years after the crucifixion\, a third wall was built that enclosed the area of the execution and burial within the city\, and this accounts for the Holy Sepulchre’s location inside the Old City of Jerusalem today. \nThe Roman emperor Constantine I\, a convert to Christianity\, had the temple of Venus in Jerusalem demolished to make way for a church. In the course of the demolition a tomb was discovered that was thought to be the tomb of Jesus. \nThe rock cut tomb was initially open to the elements\, but later it was protected by a small building. \nIn 326 AD\, Constantine’s mother\, Saint Helena\, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem\, where\, according to legend\, she discovered the relic of the cross of Jesus (the “True Cross”). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery\, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later\, with a portion of the cross placed inside it. \nIn 614 AD\, a Persian army destroyed the church and the True Cross was taken away\, but in 631 AD\, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius negotiated its return. The Sacred Cross was restored to its place in the Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. \nTo commemorate this victory\, in the seventh century A.D\, the Church of Rome adopted the “Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross”. \nIn the 11th century a cave deep below the ruins of the basilica came to be known as the Chapel of the Invention  (Finding) of the Cross. \nToday\, if you enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and go down a big staircase\, you come to the Chapel of St Helena\, owned by the Armenians. \nDescend more steps and you will stand in the dark Chapel of the Invention (Finding) of the Cross. The Greeks have the right side of the chapel. The left side belongs to the Catholics; their altar features a life sized bronze statue of St Helena holding a cross.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-feast-of-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250908
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250909
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T124950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T083345Z
UID:27093-1757289600-1757375999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Birth of St Mary from Anna
DESCRIPTION:  \nJoachim and Anna of Nazareth were married and childless for fifty years. Now advanced in age\, and in what seemed to be a hopeless\, impossible situation\, they both prayed and made special vows in order for God to bless them with a child. \nOnce\, when Anna went to the garden to pray\, God’s Angel appeared to her and told her that she will have a baby. Anna thanked God for hearing her prayers and promised to present her baby to God. Joachim also had the same vision. He also rendered glory to God for making him deserving of that grace. \nAs the result of their prayer and humility\, the impossible became possible: Anna’s barrenness was transformed into fertility\, and what came forth was the birth of their only child\, Mary\, meaning “illuminated”\,  a conception nothing short of a miracle. \nIt was Mary whom God granted the grace to be the Mother of God. As a mother she worried\, suffered for her Son\, but never opposed God\, very well understanding the importance of the mission entrusted to her by our Lord.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/birth-of-st-mary-from-anna-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250907
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250908
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T122350Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T082633Z
UID:27083-1757203200-1757289599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis 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.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eve-of-the-Fast-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250906
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250907
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T111716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T082307Z
UID:27074-1757116800-1757203199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of 318 Pontiffs participating in the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis 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. \nThe reason for convening the council was because of the viewpoints of priest Arios of Alexandria\, who denied the Divinity of Christ and thus the entire Christian doctrine was endangered. Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria was opposed to Arianism. In his sermons he stressed that God is eternal and the Son is eternal\, Father and Son are of the same time. Father does not precede the Son even for a moment\, Father has always existed and Son has always existed. \nIn 325 AD\, a town in the Black-Sea province of Bithynia played host to 318 scholars of the church who met to deliberate on the burning theological questions of the day. The false teaching of Arios (Arianism) was condemned during the first Ecumenical Council and it was declared to be heresy. \nWe remember it today as the Council of Nicaea: the first attempt to forge a truly “ecumenical” Christianity\, that is\, a Christianity that encompassed all the world’s human habitations by coming to a consensus on church doctrine. \nThe most significant result of the council was the Nicene Creed: the first uniform expression of Christian doctrine. The Creed would be elaborated upon in subsequent councils\, but its essential form\, conceived during that historic gathering in Nicaea\, remains the fundamental statement of orthodox faith\, embraced by churches throughout the world and repeated during every Armenian badarak as the Havadamk (“We believe”). \nThe Armenian Church participated in the council\, with St. Aristakes\, the younger son of S. Gregory the Illuminator\, representing his then ailing father. \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-318-pontiffs-participating-in-the-ecumenical-council-of-nicaea-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250905
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T110205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T081826Z
UID:27065-1756944000-1757030399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Saints John the Baptist and Job the Righteous
DESCRIPTION:  \nJohn 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 the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up\, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level\, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed\, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken'” (Isaiah 40:3–5). This passage illustrates God’s master plan in action as God selected John to be His special ambassador to proclaim His own coming. \nAlthough his name implies that he baptised people (which he did)\, John’s life on earth was more than just baptising. John’s adult life was characterised by devotion and surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. John’s voice was a “lone voice in the wilderness” (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Saviour. He was the precursor for the modern day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ. He was a man filled with faith and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others. \nJohn’s birth was miraculous. He was born of elderly parents who had never been able to have children (Luke 1:7). The angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah that he would have a son and true to the word of the Lord\, Zechariah’s wife\, Elizabeth\, gave birth to John. At the circumcision ceremony\, Zechariah said about his son\, “You\, my child\, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him” (Luke1:76). \nJohn was related to Jesus\, as their mothers were cousins (Luke 1:36). In fact\, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus\, he also told her about John. When Mary was carrying Jesus in her womb\, she visited Elizabeth\, and John leapt in his mother’s womb for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice (Luke 1:39-45). \nAs an adult John lived a rugged life in the mountainous area of Judea\, between the city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. He wore clothes made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist\, the typical garb of a prophet. His diet was a simple one\, locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). John lived a simple life as he focused on the kingdom work set before him. \nJohn the Baptist’s ministry grew in popularity\, as recounted in Matthew 3:5–6: “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins\, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River.” To be baptised by John was to admit your sin and repent of it\, to be prepared for the Saviour’s coming. The repentance associated with John’s baptism also kept the self righteous out of the water\, as they did not see themselves as sinners. For the self righteous\, John had stern words\, calling them a “brood of vipers” and warning them not to rely on their Jewish lineage for salvation\, but to repent and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7–10). People of that day simply did not address leaders\, religious or otherwise\, in this manner for fear of punishment. But John’s faith made him fearless in the face of opposition. \nJohn the Baptist was thought to be a prophet of God (Matthew 14:5)\, and many people thought that he was the Messiah. However\, he had a clear vision for what he was called to do. In John 3:28\, John says\, “You yourselves can testify that I said\, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.'” John cautioned his disciples that what they had seen and heard from him was just the beginning of the miracle that was to come in the form of Jesus Christ. John was merely a messenger sent by God to proclaim the truth. His message was simple and direct: “Repent\, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). He knew that\, once Jesus appeared on the scene\, John’s work would be all but finished. He willingly gave up the spotlight to Jesus\, saying\, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). \nPerhaps there is no greater example of humility than what is seen in both Jesus and John in Matthew 3:13–15. Jesus came from Galilee to be baptised by John in the River Jordan. John rightly recognised that the sinless Son of God needed no baptism of repentance and that he was certainly not worthy to baptise his own Saviour. However Jesus answered John’s concern by requesting baptism “to fulfill all righteousness\,” meaning that He was identifying Himself with sinners for whom He would ultimately sacrifice Himself\, thereby securing all righteousness for them (2 Corinthians 5:21). In humility\, John obeyed and consented to baptise Jesus (Matthew 3:13–15). As Jesus came up out of the water\, “heaven was opened\, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said\, ‘This is my Son\, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (verses 16–17). \nJohn the Baptist’s ministry\, and his life\, came to an abrupt end at the hand of King Herod. He was tricked into  beheading John by the daughter off Herodias. It was a sad and ignoble end to the life of such a faithful man. \nThe life of Job demonstrates that humans are often unaware of the many ways God is at work in the life of each believer. Job’s life is also one that prompts the common question\, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” It is the age old question\, and difficult to answer\, but believers know that God is always in control\, and\, no matter what happens\, there are no coincidences; nothing happens by chance. Job was a believer. He knew that God was on the throne and in total control\, though he had no way of knowing why so many terrible tragedies were occurring in his life. \nJob was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He had ten children and was a man of great wealth. The Bible tells us that one day Satan presented himself before God and God asked Satan what he thought of Job. Satan accused Job of honouring God only because God had blessed him. So\, God allowed Satan to take away Job’s wealth and his children. Later\, God allowed Satan to afflict Job physically. Job grieved deeply but did not charge God with wrongdoing (Job 1:22; 42:7–8). \nJob’s friends were certain that Job must have sinned in order to deserve punishment and argued with him about it. But Job maintained his innocence\, though he confessed that he wanted to die and did ask questions of God. A younger man\, Elihu\, attempted to speak on God’s behalf before God\, Himself\, answered Job. Job 38—42 contains some of the most stunning poetry about the magnitude and might of God. Job responded to God’s discourse in humility and repentance\, saying he had spoken of things he did not know (Job 40:3–5; 42:1–6). God told Job’s friends that He was angry with them for speaking falsehoods about Him\, unlike Job who had spoken truth (Job 42:7–8). God told them to offer sacrifices and that Job would pray on their behalf and God would accept Job’s prayer. Job did so\, likely forgiving his friends for their harshness himself. God restored Job’s fortunes two fold (Job 42:10) and “blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part” (Job 42:12). Job lived 140 years after his suffering. \nJob never lost his faith in God\, even under the most heartbreaking circumstances that tested him to his core. Though depressed enough to curse the day of his birth (Job 3:1–26)\, Job never cursed God (Job 2:9–10) nor did he waver in his understanding that God was still in control. Job’s three friends\, on the other hand\, instead of comforting him\, gave him bad advice and even accused him of committing sins so grievous that God was punishing him with misery. Job knew God well enough to know that He did not work that way; in fact\, he had such an intimate\, personal relationship with Him that he was able to say\, “Though he slay me\, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face” (Job 13:15). When Job’s wife suggested he curse God and die\, Job replied “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God\, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10). \nJob knew who his Redeemer was\, he knew that He was a living Saviour\, and he knew that someday He would physically stand on the earth (Job 19:25). He understood that man’s days are ordained (numbered) and they cannot be changed (Job 14:5). The spiritual depth of Job shows throughout the book. James refers to Job as an example of perseverance\, writing\, “Brothers and sisters\, as an example of patience in the face of suffering\, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know\, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:10–11). \nOur responsibility to God is to obey Him\, to trust Him\, and to submit to His will\, whether we understand it or not. When we do\, we will find God in the midst of our trials—possibly even because of our trials. We will see more clearly the magnificence of our God\, and we will say\, with Job\, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). \nThe Armenian Church celebrates the feast day of these two unlikely pairings on the same day. One comes from the Old Testament\, the other from the New. One was a comfortable man of the world who was stripped of every blessing he had. The other was a man who rejected the world\, who voluntarily cast off the material comforts of life. \nJohn and Job are opposites in so many ways. Yet what they held in common was vastly more important. \nEach was a voice crying out in a wilderness. Each stood in a desert of material poverty: comfortless and even friendless; stripped of all worldly pretension. Yet even in such a state\, John and Job testified with all their heart that they were not alone. God was with them\, and in the end\, that was the only thing that mattered. \nRef: gotquestions.org
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-john-the-baptist-and-job-the-righteous-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250902
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250903
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T093904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T081347Z
UID:27056-1756771200-1756857599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophets Ezekiel\, Ezra and Zechariah: St John the Baptist’s Father
DESCRIPTION:  \nProphecy 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. The main characteristic trait of the true prophet is his being incorruptible\, independent\, brave and extremely faithful to the divine message and commandment. \nThe author of prophecies is God. He has transferred his revelation to man thanks to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. First He has inspired His ideas\, and then man\, under His influence\, comprehending the ideas\, has transferred them to the people. \nProphet Ezekiel\, whose name means “strengthened by God\,” grew up in Jerusalem\, served as a priest in the temple and was among the second group of captives taken to Babylon\, along with King Jehoiachin. While in Babylon he became a prophet of God; he is the author of the Old Testament book that bears his name. \nEzekiel’s ministry began with condemnation and judgment of the nation Judah. After the destruction of Jerusalem\, Ezekiel’s prophecies speak of hope for the future. Ezekiel wanted to help the people learn from their failures. He announced impending judgment upon the nations that surrounded Judah and reestablished hope for the restoration of Israel. His vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) pictures new life being breathed into the nation\, which will occur in the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. \nEzekiel did not hesitate in his mission and steadfastly followed God’s instructions. He had a passionate view of judgment and hope\, and he reflected God’s own sorrow over the people’s sins. \nProphet Ezra was the second of three key leaders to leave Babylon for the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Zerubbabel reconstructed the temple (Ezra 3:8)\, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls (Nehemiah chapters 1 and 2)\, and Ezra restored the worship. Ezra was a scribe and priest sent with religious and political powers by the Persian King Artaxerxes to lead a group of Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:8\, 12). Ezra condemned mixed marriages and encouraged Jews to divorce and banish their foreign wives. Ezra renewed the celebration of festivals and supported the rededication of the temple and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall. Ezra 7:10 describes a shaping of the community in accordance with the Torah. Ezra’s goal was to implement the Torah (Law of Moses)\, and his impeccable priestly and scribal credentials allowed him to remain the model leader. \nEzra’s effective ministry included teaching the Word of God\, initiating reforms\, restoring worship\, and leading spiritual revival in Jerusalem. \nZechariah (Zacharias) is John the Baptist’s father\, who served in the temple of Jerusalem. He is different to the minor prophet\, Zechariah\, who wrote the book of Zechariah. \nZechariah and his wife Elizabeth\, who was the sister of Anna\, St Mary’s mother\, had no children for many years. Elizabeth was well past child bearing age when Zechariah was offering a sacrifice in the Temple. The angel Gabriel appeared to him and said “Do not be afraid\, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son\, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you\, and many will rejoice because of his birth\,  for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink\, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.  He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord\, in the spirit and power of Elijah\, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1: 11-17) \nAlthough this was great news\, Zechariah did not initially believe the angel. He objected that this could not be possible\, since he and his wife were too old. Because of Zechariah’s unbelief\, Gabriel told him that he would be rendered mute until the baby was born. Zechariah was immediately unable to speak\, and\, when he came out of the temple\, he had to communicate with hand gestures. The people gathered outside the temple praying\, realised that he had seen a vision of some kind. Zechariah went home\, and it happened just as the angel had said. Elizabeth became pregnant (Luke1: 18-24). \nThe next time Zechariah is mentioned is after the birth of his son. At the child’s circumcision\, Elizabeth’s family and friends wanted to name the baby after Zechariah\, but Elizabeth insisted that his name should be John (Luke 1:59–60). When they consulted Zechariah\, he asked for a writing tablet and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote\, “His name is John’” (Luke1:63). Immediately\, Zechariah was able to speak and began at once to praise the Lord. Luke 1:67–79 records the prophetic words that Zechariah proclaimed\, which may have been in the form of a song. His words indicate the change of heart and the faith that had grown during his nine months of muteness. \nZechariah died protecting his son. When King Herod ordered the slaughter of all males under the age of two\, in an attempt to prevent the prophesied Messiah from coming to Israel\, Zechariah refused to divulge the whereabouts of his son (who was in hiding)\, and he was therefore murdered by Herod’s soldiers.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophets-ezekiel-ezra-and-zechariah-st-john-the-baptists-father-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ezekial-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250831
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250901
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211101T112725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T080939Z
UID:27047-1756598400-1756684799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Discovery of the Belt of St Mary (Theotokos)
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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 was the only apostle absent at the Assumption of the Mother of God. He was grieved to learn of this\, but suddenly found himself witnessing the Virgin’s ascent to Heaven. He pleaded with her to give him a blessing; she untied her belt and gave it to him. \nDuring the time of the early Church\, when Christians were persecuted\, St Mary’s possessions were kept hidden and secret. Her belt was the first item to be discovered in Jerusalem in the fifth century. This discovery is the basis for one of the eight feast days in the Armenian liturgical calendar devoted to the Holy Mother. \nDuring the early centuries of the Christian era it was kept at Jerusalem and in the 4th century we hear of it at Zela in Cappadocia. In the same century\, Theodosius the Great brought it back to Jerusalem\, and from there his son Arcadius took it to Constantinople. There it was originally deposited in the Chalcoprateion church\, whence it was transferred by the Emperor Leo to the Vlachernae church (458). During the reign of Leo VI ‘the Wise’ (886-912)\, it was taken to the Palace\, where it cured his sick wife\, the Empress Zoe. \nThe Empress had a vision that she would be healed of her infirmity if the Belt of the Mother of God were placed upon her. The Emperor then asked the Patriarch to open the coffer. The Patriarch removed the seal and opened the coffer in which the relic was kept and the Belt of the Mother of God appeared completely whole and undamaged by time. The Patriarch placed the Belt on the sick Empress\, and immediately she was freed from her infirmity. They sang hymns of thanksgiving to the Most Holy Theotokos\, then they placed the venerable Belt back into the coffer and resealed it. The Empress\, as an act of thanksgiving to the Mother of God\, embroidered the whole girdle with gold thread\, giving it the appearance which it bears today. \nParts of the Holy Belt are in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos\, in Trier Monastery and in Georgia. \nThe Armenian Church celebrates the Discovery of the Belt of Theotokos on the second Sunday after Assumption.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/discovery-of-the-belt-of-st-mary-theotokos-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250830
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250831
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T060816Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T103803Z
UID:26975-1756512000-1756598399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Apostles St James and St Simon
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt 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. \nThe New Testament only mentions James son of Alphaeus four times in the lists of the disciples (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). He is thought to also be James the “Less” or “Lesser”\, who is mentioned in the gospels in relation to his mother\, Mary of Clopas (John 19:25). The third James mentioned in the New Testament is James\, brother of Jesus\, also known as James the Just. \nTradition implies that it was James the Less who may have taken the gospel to Persia (modern Iran) and was martyred there. But other than that possibility\, James the son of Alphaeus is the picture of obscure service. \nSt Simon\, the Patriot Apostle\, is also known as Simon the Zealot because when Jesus called him\, he was a member of the Zealots political movement. The Zealots were a party zealous for Jewish independence and throwing off Roman rule. In Matthew 10:4\, he is called “Simon the Canaanite” being a political term rather than a reference to a region. \nLike James son of Alphaeus\, Simon the Zealot is only mentioned four times in the New Testament\, in places where the names of the disciples are listed. Beyond this\, there is no other information given about him. \nTradition says that Simon the Zealot preached the gospel in Persia and was ultimately killed for refusing to sacrifice to the sun god. \nThe lack of information about James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot is a lesson in itself. They were both just as much apostles as were Peter and John. They will sit on a throne in Jesus’ earthly kingdom (Matthew 19:28) with as much authority and honour as the other apostles. \nJames the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot are an encouragement to those of us called to lives of obscurity. Our callings are just as sure\, just as God honouring\, but few will ever know our names on earth. God honours Faithfulness (Luke 18:8)\, Love (1John 4:16)\, Endurance (Matthew 24:13)\, Obedience (Matthew 7:21)\, and Sacrifice (Galatians 2:20). While some apostles wrote books of the Bible and others were featured regularly in the gospels\, it appears that James and Simon were quietly faithful to their Lord. For that\, they will be equally honoured for all eternity.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-apostles-st-james-and-st-simon-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/James-Simon.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250830
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250831
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211026T051655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T103404Z
UID:26965-1756512000-1756598399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of St Thomas
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt 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. \nHe was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said He was returning to Judea to visit His sick friend Lazarus\, Thomas immediately exhorted the other Apostles to accompany Him on the trip which involved certain danger and possible death because of the mounting hostility of the authorities (John 11:16). \nAt the Last Supper\, when Christ told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them to which they also might come\, because they knew both the place and the way\, Thomas said “Lord\, we don’t know where you are going\, so how can we know the way?” to which he received the beautiful reply from Jesus “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). \nSt Thomas is however\, most popularly known by his nickname “Doubting Thomas”\, due to his demand for tangible evidence in order to believe that Jesus was alive. \nThe Gospel of John alone includes the incident of the appearance of the risen Lord to Thomas (John 20:24-29). This story presents the relation between ‘seeing’ and ‘believing’\, where Thomas stands as a believer who believes after seeing the risen Christ. Thomas’ confession of Jesus as “My Lord and My God” is considered as the utterance of a staunch believer with renewed experience of the divine presence. Thomas’ determination to see and touch the Lord connects us directly with the resurrection belief. His statement “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were\, and put my hand into his side\, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)\, proves that he was a witness of Jesus’ crucifixion. He saw that Jesus was nailed in his hands and other parts of the body and secondly\, he saw that Jesus was pierced in his side by the soldiers. \nSt Thomas is believed to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel\, travelling as far as South India. He is often regarded as the patron saint of India and the name Thomas remains quite popular amongst the Christians of the Indian subcontinent. St Thomas is thought to have been martyred at St Thomas Mount in Chennai around 72AD. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-st-thomas-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250828
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250829
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T071225Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T103038Z
UID:26955-1756339200-1756425599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Jeremiah
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt 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. \nHis life straddled the 7th and 6th centuries before Christ\, making him a contemporary of the Athenian lawgiver Solon. Jeremiah received his prophetic calling in a time of great promise: the reign of the godly king Josiah\, during which a lost book of Moses (eventually known as Deuteronomy) was rediscovered\, and a movement of spiritual renewal awakened among the Hebrew people. \nHowever when Josiah died in battle\, his successors were weak and wasteful and Jeremiah’s generation saw its worst fears realised: the conquest of their holy city\, Jerusalem and the bitter exile of a nation from its homeland. \nJeremiah documented his painful experiences in the Old Testament book of his name\, as well as in the aptly titled book of Lamentations. As a result\, he became known to the ages as the “weeping prophet.”  Jeremiah’s vivid\, sorrowful prophecies were picked up by the evangelist St Matthew in his telling of Christ’s life (“Rachel weeping for her children” at Mt 2:17; “thirty pieces of silver” at Mt 27:9).  Today\, we derive the word “jeremiad”\, meaning a long\, mournful complaint\, from this sombre figure. \nYet even in defeat\, Jeremiah was something other than a voice of doom. To his people he spoke with the words of God; and they were words of hope\, not despair. Consider this inspiring passage by the prophet\, in which God speaks to a dispirited nation in exile: \n“For surely I know the plans I have for you\, says the Lord: plans for your welfare and not for harm\, to give you a future with hope.  Then\, when you call upon me and come and pray to me\, I will hear you.  When you search for me\, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart\, I will let you find me\, says the Lord.  And I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you\, says the Lord.  And I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”  (Jer 29:11-14) \nJeremiah’s words and example have held special meaning for Armenian Christians\, as we have witnessed St Gregory of Narek\, who borrowed the title “Lamentations” for his own masterpiece of mystical poetry.  The similarities between the travails of Jeremiah’s time and the experiences of our own people hardly need to be enumerated. \nThe more important similarity\, of course\, is the spirit of hope\, grounded in a loving\, fatherly God\, which allows people to endure\, overcome\, and live on\, whether in the 6th century B.C\, the 20th century A.D\, or today. \nRef: Christopher H. Zakian @ vemkar.us
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-jeremiah-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250826
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250827
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T062855Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T102655Z
UID:26945-1756166400-1756252799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Saints Joachim and Anna and the Oil Bringing Women
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt 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 Joachim\, who lived near Nazareth. \nThis holy couple lived in great faith\, simplicity and humility for twenty years without being blessed with children. Among the Jews this was viewed as a disgrace and a chastisement from heaven. Joachim and Anna were very unhappy because they had no children\, but they never complained to the Lord\, instead\, they prayed continually that a child would be born to them. In sincere humility Joachim and Anna submitted to divine will. \nConfidence in the goodness of God sustained them in their bitterest moments\, and as they advanced into middle age they redoubled their offerings to God in the hope of obtaining grace from heaven. One day after long prayers and abundant tears\, St Anna suddenly remembered having read in the Holy Scripture that the mother of Samuel\, who like herself was named Anna\, had made a vow that if she should be blessed with a child\, she would dedicate it to God. St Anna followed her example. From the depth of her heart she uttered the same words pronounced by her saintly ancestor. St Joachim went into the desert to devote himself to prayer and fasting. St Anna performed the same devotion in her own house. St Joachim spent forty days in the desert. His grief soon turned into joy. An angel of the Lord came to him and said: “Joachim\, you have been a faithful servant of God. The Most High from his throne in heaven has heard your prayers and longings. He will grant to you and your devout companion more than you have asked for. For behold Anna shall conceive and bring forth a daughter who shall be blessed among women and she shall be called Mary. This shall be a sign to you; namely\, when you go to Jerusalem\, you will meet your wife before the gate which is called golden.”  \nAbout the same time an angel appeared to St Anna and brought her the same joyful tidings. Without knowledge of the other’s revelation\, Joachim and Anna rose up and went to the temple to give thanks to God. They met each other at the Golden Gate that stands behind the temple. Together they entered the temple with great joy and offered up a lamb. With humble prayers they thanked God for the great honour bestowed upon them. \nA daughter\, Mary (meaning illuminated)\, was born to them\, and they did not forget their promise to dedicate the child to the service of God. When Mary was three years old\, her parents took her to the temple where she was dedicated. Tradition tells us that she stayed there in the care of devoted women until she was betrothed at about the age of fourteen. \nThe Oil Bringing Women are the witnesses of Christ’s torments. They are the first to give the good tidings of the Resurrection of our Lord. These women followed Christ during His earthly mission. The church calls them “Oil-Bringing Women” because on the Sunday morning\, following Christ’s death\, they hurried to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus by the aromatic oils they had prepared. Due to their devoutness they were the first to see the Risen God\, which they conveyed to the Apostles. \nThey were also present during Pentecost and\, together with the Apostles\, received the graces of the Holy Spirit. \nThe Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the memory of St Joachim and St Anna together with the Oil Bringing Women. \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-joachim-and-anna-and-the-oil-bringing-women-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250817
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211101T114905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T102042Z
UID:26925-1755302400-1755388799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Apparition (Shoghakat) of Holy Etchmiadzin
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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 Cathedral in Etchmiadzin is named in honour of the Holy Mother\, although through the years it became known as Etchmiadzin. The name of St Shoghakat was given to the church\, according to tradition\, because it was built where “the divine light had shed” (shogh gatadz er) on the Hripsimiants virgins. \nThe foundation was laid in 301 A.D and the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was consecrated in 303 A.D on the day of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. \nFor 1\,700 years\, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has been\, and continues to be\, the spiritual heart and centre of the Armenian Church and is her most sacred sanctuary. Her spiritual\, national and historical significance has only increased through the centuries.  Through the vision of St Gregory\, God Incarnate descended upon the soil of Armenia and predetermined her future\, making Armenia the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-apparition-shoghakat-of-holy-etchmiadzin-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Etchmiadzin-Gregory.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250810
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250811
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T061308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T101552Z
UID:26913-1754784000-1754870399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis is the Sunday preceding the week prior to the Feast of the Assumption of St Mary\, Holy Godmother\, one of the major feasts of Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the seven feasts dedicated to St Mary. The fasting period lasts from Monday to Friday.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-the-assumption-of-the-holy-mother-of-god-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250809
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250810
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T060104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240801T100635Z
UID:26903-1754697600-1754783999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration Day of the 200 Pontiffs participating in the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Ecumenical Council of Ephesus was convened in 431 A.D\, during the reign of King Theodosius II (Theodosius the Younger). 200 Pontiffs participated in the Council\, with the aim of rejecting the false teachings of Nestorius\, Patriarch of Constantinople. According to his teachings there were two independent\, divine and human\, natures in Christ\, contrasting each other. Nestorius preached that Christ was born as a simple man and only later Divinity was settled on His Person. Therefore\, the Holy Virgin Mary was not “Godmother”\, but the mother of a simple man. \nThe Ecumenical Council of Ephesus condemned the teaching of Nestorius and adopted the teaching of Archbishop St Cyril of Alexandria\, which stated that the divine and human natures of Christ do not exist separately\, but are united without confusion. One Lord\, one Jesus\, one face and one united divine and human nature. \nAdditionally\, they agreed that St Mary is not the mother of a simple man\, but she is Theotokos (birth giver of God)\, as she gave birth to the Son of God. \nSt Cyril of Alexandria’s statement “One is the nature of the Incarnate Word of God”\, was thus adopted by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus. \nThe Armenian Church did not participate in that Ecumenical Council\, but adopted its resolutions and ecumenical authority together with the previous Ecumenical Councils.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-day-of-the-200-pontiffs-participating-in-the-ecumenical-council-of-ephesus-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/200-Pontiffs.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250807
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250808
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T054631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T060350Z
UID:27019-1754524800-1754611199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Holy Forefathers
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe Septuagint (first translation of the Hebrew Old Testament)\, uses the name “Patriarch” when referring to the forefathers or ancestors of spiritual and lay leaders of the Old Testament. They are: Adam\, Abel\, Seth\, Enosh\, Enoch\, Noah\, Melchizedek\, Abraham\, Isaac\, Jacob\, Joseph\, Moses\, Aaron\, Eliezer\, Joshua\, Samuel\, Samson\, Jephthah\, Barak\, Gideon and other Holy Patriarchs. \nThe Church has classified our forefather Adam into the class of saints\, confirming the truth that Christ’s saving blood was shed for each and every person\, starting with the ancestor of all mankind. By means of the salvation of Adam\, original sin was redeemed from all who have followed him\, who repent\, believe and are baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity\, thus becoming members of the Church of Christ. \nThe word “Ancestor” is also synonymous with “Head of Tribe”.  The Holy Forefathers\, as heads of tribes\, played a very important role. Many of them lived hundreds of years and influenced their families and tribal members. Their minds and souls sustained a desire to become closer to divine existence and live a God pleasing life. Feeling the presence of God\, they advised\, warned and taught the people to stay away from sinful ways. Due to their saintly way of life\, they continue to be vivid examples for us. The ultimate goal of their lives was the realisation of God’s omnipotent will on earth.  Acting as mediators with God\, they gave us a closer relationship with God. In our present day and current times\, their sacred desire to achieve justice and fairness is a valuable lesson for all. \nWe commemorate the Holy Forefathers to stress the fact that we are not celebrating some myth\, legend or story that has come down to us. Rather we are observing an historical intervention of the Almighty into human history. This coming of Jesus Christ was foretold\, it was awaited\, it was prayed for\, it was expected and it occurred.
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-holy-forefathers-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250803
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T050821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T055744Z
UID:27010-1754092800-1754179199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Apostle Thaddeus and the Virgin Sandoukht (Santoukhd)
DESCRIPTION:  \nSt 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-apostle-thaddeus-and-the-virgin-sandoukht-santoukhd-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Sandoukht.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250801
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T042646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240804T055034Z
UID:27001-1753920000-1754006399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Isaiah
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-isaiah-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250726
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250727
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211025T035649Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240721T083807Z
UID:26696-1753488000-1753574399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Tabernacle of Old Testament (Ark of the Covenant) and the Feast of the New Holy Church
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-tabernacle-of-old-testament-ark-of-the-covenant-and-the-feast-of-the-new-holy-church-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ark-of-Covenant.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250720
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250721
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T211859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T101122Z
UID:29829-1752969600-1753055999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of Transfiguration
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-transfiguration-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eve-of-the-Fast-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250719
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250720
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T211209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T100442Z
UID:29816-1752883200-1752969599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Christ’s Twelve Apostles and the Thirteenth Apostle\, St Paul
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\nThe 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. \n 
URL:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-christs-twelve-apostles-and-the-thirteenth-apostle-st-paul-2-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/12-apostles.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250715
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250716
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T204109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T095420Z
UID:29803-1752537600-1752623999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Zechariah
DESCRIPTION:  \nEvery 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-zechariah-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Zechariah.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250714
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T121623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T094702Z
UID:29790-1752364800-1752451199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Discovery of St Mary’s Box
DESCRIPTION:  \nAccording 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-discovery-of-st-marys-box-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mary-healing-e1635077770633.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250713
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T063541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T093217Z
UID:29777-1752278400-1752364799@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Saints King Tiridates\, Queen Ashkhen and Princess Khosrovitoukht
DESCRIPTION:  \nIn 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-saints-king-tiridates-queen-ashkhen-and-princess-khosrovitoukht-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Tiridates-Ashkhen.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250710
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250711
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T061721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T092503Z
UID:29764-1752105600-1752191999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Feast of the Holy Translators St Sahak (Sahag) and St Mesrop (Mesrob)
DESCRIPTION:  \nCatholicos 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/feast-of-the-holy-translators-st-sahak-sahag-and-st-mesrop-mesrop-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250709
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T055141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T092042Z
UID:29751-1751932800-1752019199@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of the Prophet Daniel and his Companions Saints Setrak\, Misak and Apetnakov
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-the-prophet-daniel-and-his-companions-saints-setrak-misak-and-apetnakov-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Daniel-lions.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250706
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211023T222956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T091503Z
UID:29738-1751673600-1751759999@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration Day of the Discovery of the Relics of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:  \nThe 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-day-of-the-discovery-of-the-relics-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250701
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250702
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T053026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T090842Z
UID:29725-1751328000-1751414399@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Commemoration of Sts Constantine (Kostandianos) the Emperor and his mother Helen (Helena)
DESCRIPTION:  \nKing 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/commemoration-of-sts-constantine-kostandianos-the-emperor-and-his-mother-helen-helena-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250629
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250630
DTSTAMP:20260420T165340
CREATED:20211024T033355Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T090306Z
UID:29712-1751155200-1751241599@armenianchurchsydney.org.au
SUMMARY:Eve of the Fast of St Gregory the Illuminator
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis 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://armenianchurchsydney.org.au/event/eve-of-the-fast-of-st-gregory-the-illuminator-2-2-2/
CATEGORIES:Feasts & Commemorations
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