Hymn of the Night Hour - Յիշեսցուք ի գիշերի, Զարթիք

The Hymn of the Night Hour, composed by St. Nerses Shnorhali, and sung/prayed during the Night Office of the Armenian Orthodox Church, includes both Յիշեսցուք ի գիշերի and Զարթիք (Heeshestsook ee keesheree and Zarteek), translated as "Let us recall in the night" and "Arise".

Below is a link to listen to the hymn, as well as the English translation.

Click here to listen to the Hymn of the Night Hour

Let us recall your name in the night, O Lord. [Ps 119:55]. •The good word will flow forth from our hearts, and our tongues will recount the works of you, the heavenly King. •Having arisen in the middle of the night, let us confess you Lord. •Let us offer our prayers to you, Lord, in your court, in th new Jerusalem. •In the night, let us lift up our hands in holiness to you, O Lord. [Lam 2:19] ʼWith a voice of thanksgiving let everyone bless the Lord! Zarteek Arise, O my glory, arise! And I shall arise in the morning. Alleluia! •Arise with the vigilant angels, O children of the supernal Sion. Alleluia! •Arise, sons of light, in praise of the Father of light. Alleluia! [1Th 5:5] •Arise, all of you saved by the blood, and give glory to the Savior. Alleluia! •Arise, new people; sing a new song to Him who makes all things new. Alleluia! [Ps 96:1,] •Arise, brides in the Spirit, awaiting the coming of the holy Bridegroom. Alleluia! •Arise, you, who burn with light, like the wise holy virgins. Alleluia! •Arise and prepare oil for your lamps with warm tears. Alleluia! •Arise and sleep not, slumbering like the foolish virgins. Alleluia! •Arise, let us fall down and worship with tears, saying: Alleluia! •Arise, why do you sleep? Lord, do not forsake us. •Arise, Lord, and help us, and we shall give glory to your holy name. •Now and forever to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen. •Having arisen from the occupation of nocturnal repose, may the loving Lord also grant us consolation in the solace of the Church. •In awe and reverence let us stand in prayer. •Let us confess our transgressions. •And we shall find expiation and great mercy from Christ. •Forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God

The Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which has been available for veneration at various churches and monasteries, was at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary yesterday. The interesting thing about this particular icon is that it has been miraculously streaming myrrh since 2007.

I, along with another seminarian, went to St. Vladimir's in order to venerate it, and although we only stayed for a little while, our time of prayer and veneration was very solemn and edifying. As we were leaving the seminary chapel with the scent of myrrh still in our noses, we both agreed that it was a gratifying time of rest within the middle of our day.

We received small cards which were blessed and anointed with myrrh from the icon, and on the back of the card was the following Troparion:

"From Thy Holy Icon, O Lady Theotokos, blessed myrrh has flowed abundantly. Thou hast thereby consoled those in exile faithful unto Thee and hast enlightened the unbelievers by Thy Son's light. Therefore, O Lady, with tears we bow down to Thee: be merciful to us in the hour of judgment, lest having received Thy mercy, we be punished as those who have been contemptuous of it, but grant us through Thy prayers to bring forth spiritual fruit and save our souls."

Why Are We Following? (Matthew 4:23-25)

In the text prior to this portion of Scripture, we see Jesus identifying select individuals for a specific purpose, i.e. His Disciples. In this passage (Matt. 4:23-25), we see that Christ’s message is not just for a select few, but that the gospel of the kingdom is universal; for all people, everywhere. We also see Jesus becoming, not only well known, but followed by many. But why are so many people following Him? Or WHAT are the people following?

Notice in the text, that it says Jesus went about teaching, preaching, and healing. At a first reading, we might tend to think of these actions as separate, or disassociated. On the contrary, every aspect of Christ’s ministry was connected, associated into one holistic message. His teaching, preaching, and healing were the same message, and not separate actions. In other words, the gospel of the kingdom that He was teaching and preaching was attached to His signs, which in turn made His signs a message of who He is; the Person of Christ, the incarnate Word of God; redeemer and healer of the world.

Perhaps, out of the crowds that were following Jesus, some of them were just following Him as a magician, ignoring the message of the gospel that was communicated through His works. We do know that many abandoned Him at the last hour, and many even advocated for His crucifixion. Perhaps, at times, we are like those who follow the signs of Christ, and not the Person of Christ. It’s easy for us to reflect on specific trials in our lives, in the past or in the present, where this could be the case. In my own life I can recall a very definitive trial, where I was so focused on receiving a sign from God, that most of the time, I missed out on the “joy” of my trial as James writes about in his New Testament epistle. So, what are we to do?

With God’s grace, we need to see the biggest sign of all, which is even found within this text of Scripture. That Christ is revealed among us, and is present in the world. Kreesdos ee mech mer haydnetsav! That is the gospel of the kingdom! When we see who He is, through His signs and works, we trust and follow the Person of Christ, not just His signs, and we enter into and experience His kingdom.

Remember, Christ’s works and miracles were, and still are always about Him, and are always meant to draw us closer to Him, in order for us to become like Him. They beckon us to follow Him, because of who He is; because by His Word and through His works, He is revealed. His signs, and the Person of who He is, must not be separated. His preaching, teaching, and healing are one. We must be careful to not just follow a mere sign, but instead desire to become like Christ, the Person performing the signs. Otherwise, we run the risk of seeing Jesus as just a magician, someone void of a message, merely a performer of 'signs', and not a healer of our soul/body.

So what are we following? Why are we following? Or…WHO are we following? Are we following Christ for what He can do for us, or are we following Him because of what He has already done for us; for the world? By following Him, are we bringing the message of the gospel to the world through our works, just as Christ did? Do our works function as a message, pointing and directing others to Christ, and to His kingdom, just as Christ’s works pointed to Himself? Does our teaching and preaching bring healing to others as Christ's did? As Christ revealed Himself, are we revealing Christ to the world?

May we see Christ as who He is; Emmanuel; ‘God with us’, everywhere present...

...always giving glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Saradz (Frozen)

Wearing my blood
On my sleeve
But only enough

Slips beyond my wake
     Again
         Again

When I pray
I can see my breath
When I hope

The sun eclipsed
A blanket of shade
While my icy heart

     sleeps

Prayer for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

From the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, from the directive of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Special Prayer for the Solemn 10th Anniversary Observance
of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on America

Sunday, September 11, 2011

LORD JESUS CHRIST OUR GOD, ten years ago, in a dark hour for our beloved country of America, at a time of fear and turmoil, we turned to you for strength, understanding, and guidance. And again today, we ask you to hear our fervent prayers.

Have mercy on the souls of all the men and women who perished in the terrible calamities on September 11, 2001, in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Take them into the peace of your heavenly kingdom, and never cease to console their loved ones, who will always grieve for their losses.

Bless, too, those who lost their lives or their loved ones in the decade since that dreadful day, in the ongoing defense of our country.

Lord, bring peace and stability to our country and to our world, and restore justice among your creatures: true justice that comes only from you. By the mystery of your all-powerful and miraculous holy cross, transform the world’s pain and devastation into new life and hope.

Let us not lose faith, but bring us closer to you and embolden us in the assurance of your loving care and mercy. For you are our God, the creator of heaven and earth, our hope and our refuge. And to you we give glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Diocese Journal Entry – 8/28/11

Diocese Summer Internship - 7/25/11 – 8/28/11

This past Friday marked the last official day of my Diocesan Pre-Seminary Program: DPSP. (I just made that up). It was the first of its kind, and in my opinion, it was extremely beneficial and productive. My expectations were more than exceeded, as I not only learned what I was assigned, but I also built relationships that will last beyond this summer, and took part in conversations relevant to the current state of the Armenian Church.

Since my last journal entry, I was able to deliver my lecture on Baptism, and my journey to the Armenian Orthodox Church at two more St. Nersess Seminary Conferences; High School Session B, and the Post-High School Session. Also during the Post-High School Session, I attended a first-of-its-kind event held at St. Nersess on August 14th; an Oriental Orthodox gathering with our sister Churches to commemorate the Mother of God. This event included fellowship, a Bible study, and prayer, followed by the Blessing of the Grapes ceremony.

At the Diocese, I was given a “goodbye party” the day prior to my last day, which was very humbling, as each one of my mentors complimented and encouraged me in my pursuits. I was also presented with gifts, and am very grateful to my mentors for these gifts, as well as their kind words, but I am also very grateful to everyone at the Diocese for everything they have blessed me with, intentionally and unintentionally. I look forward to seeing everyone again as the Lord permits.

Since my last journal entry, I received even more wisdom from those around me, and I was able to reflect on even more ideas related to the Church, about which I will share in a separate post.

Although I will miss living in Manhattan, I am looking forward to the serene environment of St. Nersess Seminary. I was unable to move this weekend due to Hurricane Irene, but it has since passed, and fortunately I never lost power. Thankfully, there was minimal damage to the Murray Hill area.

My very first semester at St. Nersess begins this week, and so I will be leaving NYC very shortly. My classes are as follows:
- Modern Armenian
- Introduction to Liturgy
- Sacred Music Practicum – Matins and Vespers
- Ritual Practicum
- Voice Training
- Preaching

More cool things I did in NYC:
- Dined at Katz’s Deli
- Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where among many things, I saw two Armenian khatchkars.

Diocese Journal Entry – 8/7/11

Diocese Summer Internship - 7/18/11 - 7/24/11

I’m thankful that I have people encouraging me, and praying for me…notably my Spiritual Director, Rev. Todd Zielinski, my Uncle/Godfather, Chris Garabedian, and my wonderful parents.

One of my biggest challenges so far is singing/chanting the liturgical prayers and litanies...

I never had a good singing voice, and up until now, anytime I did "sing", it was in my car, mostly to rock, metal, or Top 40, not Eastern chant, which to my ear is stylistically new and unique. To further complicate things, the pitch of the Liturgy is set higher than my natural singing voice. I also have to read music, of which I have some background, but there are no time signatures, and there is no accompanying sound to assist me. And at some point, I will have to sing out of memorization.

Furthermore, the Armenian Divine Liturgy is in classical Armenian, called Krapar, which is much more difficult than modern Armenian, in that many of the words spoken in the Liturgy are not at all easy to pronounce. [see below].

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I need to be singing these words prayerfully, because that is what this is --prayer. It always helps when one knows the meaning of the words that are being sung/prayed, but in my situation this is not the case since I have not been trained in classical Armenian. I do know some words, and I do have access to an English translation, but the challenge still exists.

Please know that I am not complaining about my situation, or the challenges therein, nor do I regret that I have to sing and pray in classical Armenian. On the contrary, I am excited about what I am learning, and despite the common objections, it is a privilege to sing the same prayers in the same language as our Armenian Orthodox Church forefathers.

Here is an example of a prayer that is changed during the Divine Liturgy…

“Yev yevus havadov aghachestsook yev khuntrestsook ee Dyarneh Asdoodzo yev ee prgchen mermeh Heesooseh Kreesdoseh, ee zhamoos bashdaman yev aghoteets, zee arzhanee untoonelootyan arastseh. Luveetseh Der tsaynee aghachants merots; ungaltsee uzkhntrvadzus srdeets merots; toghtseh uzhantsanus mer, voghormestsee ee vera mer. Aghotk mer yev khntrvadzk hamenayn zham mdtsen arachee medzee derootyan nora, yev na datseh mez meeyapan, meeyov havadov yev artarootyamp vasdageel ee kordzus parees, zee zoghormootyan uzshnorhsun yoor arastseh ee vera mer. Dern amenagal getsoostseh yev voghormestsee.”

“Again in faith let us beseech and ask of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, at this hour of service and prayers, that He may make them worthy of acceptance. May the Lord hear the voice of our supplications; may He receive the requests of our hearts; may He forgive our trespasses, and have mercy on us. May our prayers and requests at all times enter into the presence of His great majesty, and may He grant us to labor in good works with one accord, in one faith and in righteousness, so that He may send down on us the gifts of His mercy. May the Lord almighty save us and have mercy on us.”

By the way, that is the transliteration of the prayer using English letters, and not the Armenian alphabet.