Lenten Journey – The Creed

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Day #12 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

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The Creed. This is what we believe.
Lenten Recipe 12: Portobello-Seitan Hash

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Scriptures as Bread

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Day #11 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

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On the Scriptural readings and hearings.
Lenten Recipe 11: Roasted Potato Fans!

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Frankenstein’s Fear

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Next Step #351: In this episode: lessons from science and experience. Trying the new and rising above the fear; Identity definitions; Mourning the past and loss; The “Squandering” Son; the Divine Liturgy beyond reason and words; Armodoxy applications. Personal experiences from the week.
Song: Ani by Ara Gevorgian
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Armenian Identity Movement
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Lenten Journey – The Jashoo Portion to Sourp Asdvadz

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Day #10 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

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The Jashoo Portion to Sourp Asdvadz.
Lenten Recipe 10: Red Cabbage Slaw

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Descent Into Our World

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Day #9 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

Descent into our world.
Lenten Recipe 9: Stuffed Eggplants

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Behind the Curtain

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Day #8 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

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Behind the curtain.
Lenten Recipe 8: Almond French Toast

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Mystery

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Day #7 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

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Mystery: Entering the Church.
Lenten Recipe 7: Mushroom Ragu

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Fasting

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Day #6 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

The priest is fully vested, and here we remember one more means of physical preparation via fasting. We agreed earlier to look at the physical preparations first, before the spiritual and emotional preparations, for in fact the physical dimensions of anything are always easier to comprehend. We learned about each of the articles of the vestments which transforms the priest for the celebration of celebrations. Fasting is the bridge between the physical and emotional. While the abstinence from food is the outward expression of fasting, the appeal to discipline and strength of will are matters of the spirit and soul.
In our Lord’s life, there is a story where a young man is brought to Jesus to have a foul spirit exorcised from him. The boy’s father had appealed to the disciples who, though commissioned to be able to heal, were unable to do so. When Jesus removes the unclean spirit from the boy, the disciples ask him, “Why were we unable to cast out the demon?  To which Jesus responds, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9)
Prayer and fasting go hand and hand. Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” A pure heart is accented with the pure body, for in fact, the purpose of the Divine Liturgy is to come into the presence of God – to commune with God, to see God. Fasting is the key to that physical purity – to cleanse and purge the system from all impurity so that the Holy Sacrament is accepted in cleanliness.
Fasting also heightens our understanding of necessity. When we fast, in our hunger, we naturally think of our next meal – we look forward to satisfying our hunger. It is during these moments that we must ask ourselves what is truly essential for life. How important are those meals? We come to view in a different manner Christ’s words, that bread alone is not essential for life, but life finds meaning and fulfillment by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Matthew 4)  
Physical preparedness gives us a foundation on which our spiritual side, our soul must be ready for this Sacrament.
In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord directs us to the spiritual preparedness for the Holy Eucharist. He says, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
This is the highest form of preparedness for the Divine Liturgy – to be at peace with our fellow human being. Yes, the vestments and fasting are essential, but our Lord sets apart this rule for the altar table as a necessity.
Earlier when I mentioned that emotional and spiritual preparedness were much more difficult to understand than the physical side of preparedness, I was alluding to this commandment. Wearing robes and even abstaining from food is not as difficult as this most important rule of preparation. Note that our Lord put the harmony between us humans as a higher priority than God! Again, he says, leave your gift at the altar – more important than God – go and reconcile with your brother or sister.

This first week of the Lenten Journey we walked the course of preparedness. While each article of the vestment set gave us a chance to reflect on various aspects of readiness, the most important lesson of all these days is the need to prepare the soul for the Holy Divine Liturgy. It is the reconciliation between us that is at the heart of the Liturgy. It is what St. John the Evangelist speaks of when he says, “For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” It’s that simple and yet that difficult.

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Preparation of the Priest

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Day #5 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

On this fifth day of this Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy, we end the sessions on physical preparation by understanding the role of the robe, or shourjar. Thus far we have observed the transformation of the priest in the vestry of the church. He has donned new clothes, the very special vestments that are designated for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
As the name shourjar implies, is placed around the entire – shourj – body of priest. Here, he prays, “In your mercy, O Lord, clothe me with a radiant garment and fortify me against the influences of the evil one, that I may be worthy to glorify your glorious name.” As this final piece of the vestment set is worn by the priest the intention of the Liturgy is presented. Although the robe is ornamental, bright and colorful, the priest is reminded that it is not for his own glory that this sacrament is being celebrated but for the glory of God.
As a huge shield, the shourjar surrounds the priest with a special energy. This energy is beauty and strength combined. Often these two words are not used together in describing something. In fact we separate them as diametrically opposed to one another. Braun and beauty we say. Or even cruelly, we say beauty and the beast. Here, the shourjar shows us that there is beauty in strength and strength in beauty. Not only is one not exclusive of the other, but in fact a necessary component of one another. The shourjar is radiating as the top garment of the vestment set, and it radiates power over the forces of evil. There is nothing greater nor more powerful than complete beauty, which is an expression of goodness and love. Jesus was the Love and Goodness incarnate, and a testament to strength and power which changed the very foundation of our world – for in fact, the manifestation of that power and strength is in the goodness done through works.  
The lesson for today is that although the priest is standing with beautiful vestments, as a new man, before the altar and congregation, he is there as a servant, to serve something greater than himself. He has removed the old garments and donned a new set of vestments that set him apart from the world as a reminder that the journey is one that transcends the daily rituals of life. Ego has been placed in check. It is not about him, but about the one who is the author of him.

As we prepare ourselves for the journey that is still before us, let us contemplate own newness as we walk. Every article of clothing has a purpose and a mission. So too in our lives, every heartbeat, every eye blink, every muscle and organ of our body has a function and purpose that must be in sync with our feelings, thoughts and soul. We are called to meditate on our uniqueness, our beauty, our sense of wonder… each of us set apart from the other uniquely, only to come back together for the purpose to love one another. 

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Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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Lenten Journey – Continuing on Physical Preparations and the Vestments

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Day #4 of the Lenten Journey into the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Vazken Movsesian.

In physically preparing for the Divine Liturgy the priest dons a set of vestments, specifically designated for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Yesterday we were introduced to the tak crown, the white shabikshirt, and oorar or the stole. Today we will continue with the vesting process by understanding the role of the belt, the vagas, and the cuffs.
The belt, or godi, is placed around the shirt and the stole which is hanging from the priest’s neck. The priest recites, “May the girdle of faith encircle me round about my heart and my mind and quench vile thoughts out of them and may the power of Your grace abide in them at all time, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  As the belt circles his body, we are to understand the totality of commitment to the sacred celebration. Note that the physical attributes of the belt point to the spiritual union of heart and mind in the celebration. Our bodies are the vessels inside which the mind and soul of our being resides. To engage in the Divine we must be present with all of our faculties. The five physical sense of taste, smell, sight, sound and touch are highlighted with the experiences we feel through our heart and engage with our mind. The priest is completely committed at this point, and beckons that we give all of our selves to the celebration.
Next the priest places his hands through the bazbans, or cuffs, so that they cover his arms. He prays, “Give strength, O Lord, to my right and left hands and wash all my filthiness that I may be able to serve you in health of soul and body.” The arms and hands are the means by which the physical work of the church is accomplished. Here, the request for strength should be not be underplayed. Strength is endurance. Strength is patience. Strength is muscle. The Celebration of the Divine Liturgy is an action that has implications and consequences in the real world. Much like the gladiators of old, who would place cuffs on their forearms for protection and as a symbol of strength, the priest is reminded of the necessity to work for the victory, that is, success, of this Mystery known as the Divine Liturgy.
Now the priest well ready to celebrate, and so the next vestment is one which calls for focus. The vagas is placed around the back of the neck of the priest. It stands high and surrounds the back of his head. As the oorar reminded the priest of the yoke, or the burden placed around his neck, the vagas is a reminder of what are sometimes called “blinders” that we see around the eyes of the beasts of burden. While temptation is from all around, the vagas forces the priest’s attention to the celebration of the Liturgy, and the common cup at the center of the Holy Eucharist. In a moment of temptation if the priest’s attention is steered to the right or left, the blinders prevent him from looking further and readjust his attention to the work before him. This is a very special vestment that directs the senses to the essentials of the Liturgy and therefore the essentials of life.

The final article of the vestment set is the robe or shourjar, which we will learn about tomorrow. For today let us focus on the belt, the cuffs and the vagas, as three reminders of commitment. Our devotion must be circular, like the belt, with no signs of beginning or end, encircling our entire being through body, soul and mind. Our faith must be fortified by strength, as the cuffs provide, so that we understand that the purpose of our faith is to do – to share, love and work for the betterment of life.  Our life must be focused, as the vagas directs us, to concentrate on the matters at hand. And if, by the temptation of the moment we should wonder, may we be reminded of the awesome beauty of the life that is in front of us. 

Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net
Background Lent Song: Here I Am to Worship played by Heidi 
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