Solstice of Light

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Armodoxy for Today: The Summer Solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the day with the most hours of sunlight. Daylight hours have increased since the Winter Solstice in December, the day which enjoys the sun the least.

In the Armenian Church, much has been written and said about the Winter Solstice because the date of Christmas was changed from January 6 to December 25 in the West, to bump the holidays surrounding the solstice celebrations, thus facilitating the spread of Christianity.

With no such conflicts of date or celebrations, the Summer Solstice gives us an opportunity to focus on light itself.

A few years back, I found myself in a village in Rwanda working with genocide survivors. We conducted informal interviews with them, became familiar with their daily activities and then, as the sun went down, people wound down, and soon, it was 7:00 PM. It was dark outside. People were in their homes, preparing for their night’s slumber. There was no sound throughout the village. I thought it odd that people would be preparing to sleep at this early hour. And then it occurred to me, that without electricity, without the artificial lighting that the electricity provides, for all intents and purposes the day was over with the sun set.

In a world without electricity, you can only imagine how welcomed the longer days are. It meant more time for families and community building, more time for productive living, for gatherings, therefore, more time to share and celebrate, that is, to express love.

Light is the facilitator of life. Light maximizes the potential for life. With this understanding, listen, then, to the words of Christ:

“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him… A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 11 & 12)

Some of the great treasures of our Faith are found in the simplest phenomena of nature.

We end with a prayer by the 13th century saint Nersess Shnorhali, I confess with faith and worship you, O Indivisible Light, unified Holy Trinity and one Godhead; creator of light and dispeller of darkness, dispel from my soul the darkness of sin and ignorance, and enlighten my mind at this moment, so that I may pray to you according to your will, and receive from you the fulfillment of my requests. Have mercy upon your creatures, and on me. Amen.

Thankfulness to Awe

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Geghartavank, or the monastery of Geghart, is unique because its wonder is felt only after you enter its doors. It is a monastery carved out of a mountain. Inside, different chambers are interconnected through narrow and low passageways. Geghart means “lance” or spear. In the Gospel of St. John 19:34 we read that as Jesus committed his spirit on the cross, the soldiers who were witnessing the crucifixion pierced his side with a lance to assure themselves Jesus was dead. That lance is kept by the Armenian Church to this day and is used to stir the Holy Miuron which is prepared every seven years, completing the mystical connection to the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ghevart monestery is named after the Holy Lance. and housed the Sacred object for centuries.

The monastery was a tourist stop even during Soviet times. During the Soviet rule over Armenia, it was common for tourists to visit Armenian monasteries as part of the cultural landscape. In other words, the religious significance of these sacred sites was diminished by the government, by presenting them as expressions of random creativity, not necessarily inspired by the Spirit. The Christian background was minimized, or even nullified, for the tourist in the official state narrative about churches and monasteries. Today, people flock there for curiosity, but more and more as a pilgrimage shrine to augment their faith.

A group of us arrived one morning to discover we had just missed a mini-concert by a cappella singers. Their repertoire included a few sharagans, or hymns of the Armenian Church, and a couple samplers from Gomidas Vartabed (early 20th century). We inquired when the next concert might take place and they told us it would be a bit later. Our group of nine pilgrims entered the cave at Geghartavank. We were alone. The Spirit moved us. We huddled together and sang a hymn, requesting God’s mercy, “Der Voghormia.”  The acoustics of the cave are such that, we, untrained vocalists, sounded amazing, so much so that the group of a cappella singers came back in as if to answer our prayer. They smiled and lined up in front of us. Taking out an electronic pitchfork, one of the singers gave the note and the others tuned into to produce a concert that was beyond anything we could have asked for, in fact, it was beyond what we could have imaged. It was renewing and invigorating, leaving us in tears, with full heart of contentment.

Sometimes it is best to pray and know that everything falls into place. These singers were angels who delivered the word of God in a manner that we could not have imagined. We weren’t expecting this concert, nor did we pray for it, but in our prayer of thanksgiving, a blessing of unproportionate size was delivered. Not everything needs to be articulated. Our thankfulness turned into awe.

Today, we remember this quote by Albert Einstein: The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead —his eyes are closed. The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.

Cover photo: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

Carved from Within

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Armodoxy for Today: The Signs Around Us

Mr. Gaspar is a sculptor. He works in the courtyard of the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank.  For years I have watched him as he turns slabs of stone into ornamental creations. Figures, historic characters, churches and religious symbols take form in his hands.

As I watch the evolution of the stone into art I wonder if it is in the hand of the sculptor that they take form, or are the art pieces already there in the stone waiting for the sculptor to chisel it out? My question goes to the huge structures such as the monasteries of Armenia or the ultimate riddle of Geghard, which is a monastery bore out of a side of a mountain. Was that monastery always there waiting to be carved out? Or did the sculptors envision the monastery and chiseled accordingly? Realize also, that on a mountain of that size and a monastery with so many rooms, there is no room for mistakes.

The questioning may sound odd, but if you look at the story wedding feast described in the second chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, there is a parallel set of questions. The story where Jesus changes water into wine ends with, This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (2:11) This is recorded as the first of the signs that would bring people to Him. More importantly, the author points to the fact that because of these signs people believed in Him. This correlation between signs and followings is one that I struggle with as a priest trying to engage people in a higher understanding – a maturity – of faith.

The so called “supernatural events” such as changing the molecules of water to wine, or walking on water without sinking, or quieting a storm, or healing a leper, giving sight to a blind man, or resurrecting the dead, seem to the be the attractions that always are thrown out as proof that Jesus is person we say that He is. Instead, if we accept Him as who He is, then these are not supernatural events, rather very natural for God. In so understanding, the very natural events around us become testaments to the grandeur of God and the sacredness of life. A seed placed in ground draws life from nutrients, water and the Sun, becomes a tree and bears fruit to feed a population. Two cells meet and develop into a unique life form that is defined by its molecular make up and personality, with a set of fingerprints unlike anyone else’s in history. Philosophers have pondered numbers and cosmologies; mathematics have defined physical laws that lay the groundwork for the machinery to fly with the birds and now propel humanity to explore the stars and life systems. Each of these are worthy of our wonder and awe, that is, each of these are miracles. The maturity of faith is in our understanding that God is inside each of us, as the soul He breathes into us, attests. In that understanding of God within us, the road to peace can be assured.

Armodoxy is a testament to a group of people who discovered and celebrated the miracle, the wonder and the excitement of everyday life and so understood that God is never apart from us.

From the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours, Lord of hosts, commit our souls to the angel of peace, who will come and keep us tranquil by day and night, while awake and resting. Grant that we pass the rest of the night in peace, and arrive at the service of the morning, to offer worship and glory to the Holy Trinity. Now and forever and ever. Amen

Cover Photo: Sculptures at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, photo

Finding the Supernatural Within

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Armodoxy for Today: The Supernatural Within

Today we will build on yesterday’s message about our prejudices regarding the supernatural. (Carlos Santana’s story) If we put away our prejudices, and keep the ego in check, we find it easier to see the supernatural in daily occurrences, whether in the pollination of a flower, the amazing structure a duckling’s tail feather, or the supernatural occurrence healing of the physical.

When we look at the metaphor of the Vine and the branches which Jesus articulates, “I am the vine and you are the branches… you cannot bear fruit without being connected to the vine,” we find a natural progression of events. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is not connected to the vine! Yes, obviously. It’s so natural that it is a given. It is an axiom, not even necessary to mention. But our senses have become so dull, we are conditioned to the point that we doubt the obvious, and so we must repeat it for clarity. Jesus should not have had to give this lesson in agricultural and botany to a group of people who cultivated the land for their livelihood, but he did. Now imagine how much more we need to, and must, reiterate matters with which we are not familiar.

In my first parish I had a young lady who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The diagnosis was devastating enough, without learning of the many horrible and frightening treatments she would endure to fight this disease and with no certainty of winning that battle. Within our parish community the word spread quickly, and we were all in various degrees of anguish. She was a mother of a beautiful daughter who was too young to realize what lurked ahead for mom. Her husband, stoic at the news, was ever so supportive and determined to overcome the cancer. We braced for the worst with members of our church even discussing how to take care of the little child in her mother’s absence.

That Sunday, as all Sundays, we celebrated the Divine Liturgy and distributed the Holy Eucharist. After church services she approached me. She told me – not asked me – “I received Holy Communion today. It is the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ.” I nodded my head, yes, you did. She continued, “Well, if Jesus Christ is within me, what cancer can survive inside of me? There is no place for that cancer in my body!”

She said this with such conviction and strength. I picture her face saying this to me to this day and my eyes water as I swell up with emotion thinking about it. If Jesus Christ is inside of me, what business does cancer have within me? Yes! That’s exactly what she said.

The lady of great faith went on to live. She and her husband brought two more beautiful daughters to this world and through the years, we stay in touch, even if only for a Christmas card, with pictures of the family growing and flowering. Even more, she is forever connected to me through the “Vine” that connects us all. Her story has helped me through some of my worst days, and I share it with others, not only to offer hope, but to change our perception of the supernatural to natural.

What we call Supernatural is natural, normal, for those who exist in a different plane of understanding. That plane is not that far away. It is no different than perceiving heaven here on earth. The exercise of losing ego and the dropping of the prejudices we harbor against the miracles of life bring us closer to that reality.

We pray today from St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer of the evening hours, “Gracious Lord, commit me to a good angel, who may guide my soul in peace, and carry it undisturbed through the wickedness of evil to heavenly places. Amen.”

Cover: Jermuk Falls, 2019 Fr. Vazken

Prejudices against the Supernatural

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Armodoxy for Today: Dropping Supernatural Prejudices

At the end of the last century, musician/guitarist extraordinaire Carlos Santana put out an album of music under the title Supernatural. The album was a huge success, including breaking the record for most Grammy Awards, which up to that time was held by legendary pop star Michael Jackson. The album featured artists from CeeLo Green, to Dave Matthews to Eric Clapton, and many others. Santana used the name “Supernatural” for his album because it was beyond the natural, that such greats would come together to put together this music. He felt that the call to come together was also supernatural.

Often, we find ourselves in unexplainable situations, and when we run out of those explanations we appeal to the supernatural. Yes, we can say that it was a talented group of musicians, to say the least, but Carlos Santana chose to say the most, and said it was supernatural.

Some will doubt that there was anything supernatural. Others will swear by it. While still others, will not even care how the music was produced, as much as it was good music which they are able to enjoy it. In other words, not everything needs to be analyzed.

For the most part, people have prejudices against supernatural events because those events don’t fit nicely in the order of their universe.

Before the Civil Rights movement and legislation in the 1960s, Black Americans were asked (or forcibly placed) to the back of the bus. That was “their place,” they were told by people who pre-judged them, which is what “prejudice” means – to pre-judge. Because religion has not presented the supernatural in an accessible manner, or, as Einstein alluded, “our dull faculties” are not tuned to understand senses beyond ourselves, we harbor these prejudices.

Presenting the effects of the supernatural is not an easy task. Think of Santana’s album; finding the effects is easy because it is the product itself. Armodoxy makes the effects of the supernatural just as easy to find in the work of the Church by pointing to the life that has been lived and is lived by Armenians as a miracle of the supernatural. A group of people who have no military strategy, no military, no political might, no political ally, and not only live but thrive can only be attributed to a supernatural force. It is on the same scale as Santana’s claim of a supernatural force bringing the musicians and music together. Today’s challenge is to drop our prejudices and not confine religious experience to “their place” where “they belong.

Supernatural occurrences are more common than we are led to believe, if we are willing to look within.

We pray today, Lord, help me to look within. Allow me to inventory my life and see the true miracles, including my life, my family and the relationships that sustain me. May I be open to the natural and the supernatural. Amen.

Cover: Noravank, 2023 Luna & Gregory Beylerian

Application Review

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Armodoxy for Today: Assessing Membership

Groucho Marx, famously said, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.” It takes a moment to absorb the true humor in such a statement. It was something you would expect for Marx (1890-1977), a comedian, actor, and writer who was famous for his wit.

Consider what kind of club would have you as a member. Would Jesus be welcome in that organization? This is a good exercise for churches – parishes – to undertake. It can be beneficial in understanding who Jesus is and what he is all about. Even more… understanding who you are and what you are all about.

Think of a member application from a 33 year old male to your church, and now we will read the notes that a member of the admission committee has written: In describing the applicant it says, “Rigid, angry, has authority issues, displays intellectual immaturity, unable to work well with others. Seems a bit too religious. Overly concerned with issues of justice and fairness which can possibly conflict with our donors. Keeps company with people of questionable moral character. Limited knowledge of by-laws. No experience in meeting protocols, banquets, country club outings. Dresses inappropriately.”

How would Jesus be accepted into your church, into your worshipping community? Would his application be stamped ACCEPTED “as-is” or would there be conditions on his acceptance or would it be stamped REJECTED because his ways were not the way of the parish? During Jesus’ time, he was rejected exactly for the reasons stated above (perhaps except the comments about country club outings, but you get the idea). This small exercise is necessary every now and then, and the feast of Pentecost – or the Birthday of the Christian Church – is an appropriate time to check your and your church’s norms and mores against those of Jesus. And what of the congregants? Would those who are poor, lonely or unusual be welcome in your church? Would they consider it home? If not, why not? In an honest assessment, you’ll have to ask what needs to change on our end, because Jesus, is the same yesterday, today and always.

A prayer from the Armenian Church, Bless, Lord, all who work for your Church. Grant that we may so agree in love that envy and jealousy may never mar our labors, but that our sincere and humble service may merit, your blessing. Amen.

Look Both Ways

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Armodoxy for Today: Bidirectional

The shoreline is always safer than the waters that carry the boat beyond the horizon, unless, of course, the shore is susceptible to erosion, tide wave, or the squabble of men in war. Granted, there are safe and dangerous conditions connected to every decision we make.

The Christian is called to a life of productivity, using his or her talents to the best of his or her abilities. This direction forward can be stifled by fears instigated by past experiences. Theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard writes, “Life must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward.”

The gentle balance between learning from the past, and living for the day is Jesus’ message, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34) Today’s one minute in Summertime.

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We pray from the Armenian Book of Hours, the morning prayer, We thank You, O Lord our God, who granted us restful sleep in peace. And being awakened, caused us to worship Your awesome and glorified holy name. Grant us to pass the remainder of the day in peace. Living our lives with pure behavior in this world, may we reach the peaceful haven in eternal life. Amen.

Etchmiadzin: Beacon of Light for All

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Armodoxy for Today: Etchmiadzin for All

In a world that is plagued with war, disease, poverty, intolerance and indifference, the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin may seem obsolete and/or archaic. What is all this talk about Holy Etchmiadzin when the news is shouting out horror and evil?

The Church steers us to the answer in the epistle reading of the day, from Hebrews chapter 9. Here we read about structures, about altars and tabernacles. In the Armenian Church we read this in the context of the new covenant and therefore state the invitation in the hymn of Holy Etchmiadzin: “Come, let us build the altar of light!”

The altar, which pointed to rules and regulations is now standing as a beacon of light, and therefore, as a lifesaver offering and giving hope! The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church attests to this subtle change of focus when the celebrant prays, “God of truth and Father of mercy, we thank you, for you have exalted our nature, above that of the blessed patriarchs; for you were called God to them, whereas in compassion you have been pleased to be named Father to us.”

As children of our Heavenly Father, we are called to the highest calling: to share the Light with others, especially those living in darkness. “You are the light of the world,” says Jesus (Matthew 5).  “A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Come let us build the altar of light, says the hymn, so that evil is exposed. Etchmiadzin is the altar of light that must be raised in a world of darkness.

“This is the verdict,” Jesus says, (John 3) “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

We pray, from St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer, O Christ, the true Light make my soul worthy to encounter with joy the light of your divine glory, on the day I will be called by you; and to rest in good hope, in the mansions of the righteous, until the great day of your coming. Have mercy upon your creatures, and on me, a sinner. Amen.

Cover: Altar of Descent, Holy Etchmiadzin, Fr. Vazken 2014

Mission to Light: Etchmiadzin

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Armodoxy for Today: Etchmiadzin as Mission

Today’s message comes from His Holiness, Karekin I, of blessed memory, who was the Catholicos of All Armenians from 1995 until his passing in 1999. When he assumed the throne of Chief Shepherd of the Apostolic See, he coined a phrase, “Etchmiadzin is Mission.” From his sermon which he delivered on the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin 1995, I share with you these excerpts:

“Come, let us make an altar of light, for thereby did the light shine in the land of Armenia.” (From the hymn of Holy Etchmiadzin)

The altar of light is light itself – light created by God. “I am the light of the world,” proclaimed our Lord, hence the architect of this altar at Etchmiadzin, is God Himself also, acting through His Only Begotten Son. As humans, we are called to make this altar, but I would say that actually we are to allow it to make and fashion us and our lives.

One thinks of artists, sculptors, poets and composers: they create, and their soul radiates through matter – marble, sound, words, etc. – and expresses itself. We can therefore only make an alter for God inasmuch as we become participants in God’s own creativity and the task of spiritual edification.

… What people conceive of when they speak of “Holy Etchmiadzin” is something spiritual, which radiated through the physical Etchmiadzin; for a stone on its own is nothing but a stone – dead matter!

… Etchmiadzin is first and foremost a mission; it is not an institution like other institutions. … It is not an ode to the past, a glorification of previous achievements or pride in former accomplishments. Etchmiadzin is a mission; it is the transcription of God into Armenian, the preaching of Christ’s Gospel and the teaching of the faith of our Holy Fathers.

… Human response to the divine calling is what is needed now; we have to experience a total and complete change of heart so as to be able to deserve serving at Etchamiadzin…

…I quote from the Book of Hours [of the Armenian Church]

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who, through the prayers and intercessions of the father in faith and Your long-suffering servant, St. Gregory the Illuminator… You expressed your Love and mercy in a special way by descending in this place; You struck with your golden hammer the depths of hell and dispersed its inhabitants; You wondrously created this Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and turned it into an ever abundant source of Your grace, into a [nurturing] mother and teacher… keep this See spotless and crystal clear and bright, for the sake of the glory of all our churches until the end of the World… Amen.

Let us become as the plain of Ararat, ready to receive the divine message and may Etchmiadzin become integrated into our spiritual world and our lives. So that we may glorify the Almighty Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Universality in the Garden, the Mountain and the Cathedral

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Armodoxy for Today: Universality of Faith

The feast of Holy Etchmiadzin has a descriptor in its official name. It is “universal.” While the word implies the connection to the larger Body, that is, to the Christian Church, it also gives us a direction for ministry, especially when we understand that Etchmiadzin is Mission.

In a world that is plagued with war, disease, poverty, intolerance and indifference, the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin is essential for the survival of humanity. This is not hyperbole, but confirmation that compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, selflessness, and tolerance, that is love is the only answer for us as a planet.  The original Christian message was, and still is, applicable to the entire world – in the here and now – and accessible to everyone. This is why we say Armodoxy is the expression of OG Christianity.

According to the verses in Genesis 2 the Garden of Eden, the birthplace of humanity is in Armenia. According to Genesis 8, the resting place of the Ark, the second chance at life was on the Mountains of Ararat, the peak that shadows Armenia. The Christ Light which shines from Holy Etchmiadzin is the hope for humanity. Herein is the universality of Holy Etchmiadzin. These three physical locales – the Garden, the Mountain and the Cathedral –  although they exist in Armenia, belong to all of humanity. They cannot be confined to a group or tribe of people. They contain the elements and energy of life proclaiming God’s ever-presence in human history. Holy Etchmiadzin completes the holy trinity of physical locations that radiate the love energy, from spiritual vortexes in this small patch of land.

On the Feast of the Universal Church Etchmiadzin, we make a pronouncement to the entire world the words of the hymn: The only-begotten descended from the Father and the light of glory was with him… The patriarch Gregory saw the great light and joyfully told of it… Come let us build the sanctuary of the Light, for therein shone forth light unto us in the land of Armenia.

Cover: Light at Etchmiadzin by Luna and Gregory Beylerian