The Spirit of Muiron

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: The Spirit of Muiron

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Matthew 26)

This short episode which is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John displays a side of Jesus which is often not discussed. Jesus puts his concern for the poor “on hold” for this brief moment as a costly oil shared with him.

Every seven years the Armenian Church takes a break from all the difficulties it faces and the cares of world and focuses on the preparation of the Holy Muiron – the Holy Chrism. From the time of Christ, this holy oil comes to us and its preparation involves the collecting the essence of fragrant flowers, a 40 day processing with the prayers, and spiritual vibrations, a most spiritually profound and inspiring services presided by the Catholicos and attended by thousands of clergy and pilgrims from throughout the world and blessing it with the lance that pierced Jesus’ side on the Cross, and with the Holy Relic of St. Gregory. Every seven years the Muiron is renewed, adding the prayers and history of the centuries past to the present mix.

Join me during the next few weeks, as I give you a very special Armodox view of the Holy Muiron. Through these daily messages we will explore together the preparation process, the prayers, the hymns, the purpose of Muiron, the presence of the Holy Spirit in this ancient tradition, and why it is essential to take a break from the difficulties of the day to bring this holy anointing into our lives. This is Armodoxy for Today… The Holy Muiron from the time of Christ to Today.

O Christ, anoint my soul with your love, anoint my ears with your voice and anoint my eyes with your light as I prepare to learn and grow in the sacred tradition of Holy Muiron. Have mercy on me. Amen.

 

Perception in Flight

/1 Comment/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Perception

Our first parish was in a town called Cupertino about 50 miles south of San Francisco, an area that was developing its identity as Silicon Valley as we were developing our identity as a family. A pastor’s family is always blessed with having so many aunts and uncles. The kind people of the parish and our family engaged in what I call reciprocal-adoption. It was a special time in our life, and very rich with “family” especially considering that both my wife’s family and mine lived well over 400 miles away in Southern California.

My brother found every opportunity he could to come and visit with us and his nephews. He’d take the one-hour airplane trip up the coast and we’d be on the receiving end to pick him up at San Jose Airport. Many times we’d get there a bit early and park our car at the end of the runway and watch the planes take off and land. And then, when that big Southwest airplane rumbled the air above us and landed down aways, I’d point to it and tell the kids, “There’s Uncle Haig! Let’s go pick him up.” We’d drive over to the terminal in time to watch him come off the plane.

After the weekend we’d take Uncle Haig to the airport. This time we’d walk him all the way to the gate (yes, this is a bit of pre-9/11 history), say our good-byes and watch the plane back out. San Jose Airport was perfect for plane watching. We’d get in the car and go to the end of the runway. As the plane took off from the tarmac to the sky we’d wave, “Bye Uncle Haig!”

Now when the kids were very young, when we’d get home, they’d be playing in the yard and their sharp senses would spot a plane high up in the sky. They would get so happy and excited as they pointed to the small object in the sky, “Look dad. Look mom. There’s Uncle Haig.” In response to their cuteness, we’d play along with an assuring, “There he goes… wave to him…”

At various times – perhaps days or even weeks later – between visits, our kids would spot a plane say with the same enthusiasm as moments after the flight took off, “There’s Uncle Haig.” And with their little hands they’d wave to the plane high up in the sky.

It was on one of his visits that my brother figured out that our children thought that he was in a perpetual state of flight! They would say goodbye to their uncle at the airport… He’d get on the plane… then the next time they’d see him he’d be coming off the plane. For all they knew, he was always in flight until the next time they’d see him, once again coming off the plane. Think of it in terms of a three or four year old. Without the knowledge that planes land elsewhere to deliver and pick up passengers, you would assume the flight has a circular route, beginning and ending with you. Why would you think otherwise? As we mature, our world view changes, and our understanding of the world develops as we connect the dots between events, places, people and feelings. And soon we have a new understanding. Uncle Haig got on a plane to come to see us… he lives somewhere else… he needs to return to that somewhere else… and we look forward to his next visit. *

Everyone has their own perception of life at different levels of maturity, especially when it comes to spirituality. Jesus met us where we were and where we are. His parables are about the essence of life and they are presented in a language that can be as simple or as complex as is necessary. He speaks the language of the heart and the appeal is universal.

Here is an ancient Armenian blessing, appealing to the Holy Cross. The Cross of Christ is torturous and victorious; it is a matter of perception. We pray, Keep us in peace, O Christ our God, under the protection of your holy and precious cross; save us from our enemies, visible and invisible, and count us worthy to glorify you with thanksgiving, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

*Disclaimer: Space and time were not altered, skewed or changed as a result of this blog.

Photo: Cloud-Plane by Sona Smith (2014)

Deciding to Laugh

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Deciding to laugh

Like most people, you and I laugh at things that are truly funny. What may be funny to me may not be humorous to you and vice versa. And no matter how much we try to tell one another that there is humor in a joke or situation, at the end of the day, it’s our decision to laugh or not. Of course, spontaneous laughter rather than deciding to laugh is the genuine form of expressing joy.

In 1950, canned laughter was introduced to help the public feel more comfortable with the new medium of television. Actors would say their lines, and according to the judgement of someone in the production staff, laughter was added at the end of the line to prompt the audience to follow the cue of laughing. Later canned applause was added to the reaction options and this tradition continues to this day.

Pay attention to the audience – look closely at the audience of talk shows – late night or the daytime variety – and game shows and you will notice that there is no one yelling, screaming or shouting out cat calls as they introduce the host or show a prize. These sound effects are added by the producer of the show to let the audience – both those in studio as well as those watching – know that this is a moment that is worthy of applause or laughter, according to his or her standards.

After decades of this tradition, it is now a given practice to have a laugh or applause tracks added to our entertainment, so much so that we have forgotten that we are being prompted to express ourselves according to someone else’s standards of humor, of acceptance and of gratitude. It is played in the back ground and we follow the prompts to go along for the ride.

In many ways our Faith is prompted by the background cues that we receive. We go along with the flow to believe what is being preached to us is the only acceptable variant of Christianity. The laugh and applause track come in  the form of social pressure and the majority-rules philosophy. Most ideas of Christianity in the West are shaped by the loudest voices that become the prompt for us to follow along, to add our voice to the acceptance track.

Armodoxy is here to attest to the oldest form of Christianity, before applause tracks were added, so to speak. Jesus was not a separatist; he was not an elitist. He challenged us to rise from our humanity and touch the divine. It was not a popular way of life, but it was, and is, fulfilling for the individual practitioner. He advocated for a community, where we lived with, and for, each other. He eschewed materialism and preached a path of spiritual wealth through the practice of love, forgiveness and exercising compassion. Think about it. Jesus’ message was so pure and profound that we don’t need an applause or cheer track to tell us it is great. We know it because it speaks directly to our heart and our being, and those are places that cannot be fooled or swayed to believe. We exclaim that we believe with an Amen.

We pray a prayer from St. Nersess the Gracefilled, Guardian of All, Christ, let your right hand shelter me by day and by night, while at home and while away, while awake and while asleep so that I may never fall. Have mercy on me. Amen.

Unnecessary Detour to Noravank

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Unnecessary Detour

From our “consider the source” department I share with you a story from a friend of mine, Aram, who just returned from Armenia.

Aram likes to spend time in Armenia reconnecting to his roots. One of his favorite spots to visit is Noravank, a 13th century monastery, about 70 miles (112 km) outside of Yerevan. It is a favorite spot for tourists for a variety of reasons, among them being the aesthetic beauty it projects, with the sharp lines of the monastery building and its domes contrasted against the jagged peaks that surround it.

The road from Yerevan to Noravank is fairly easy and straight forward. Aram had driven the route many times but still, he punched the coordinates into his phone’s navigator and off they went. On the road Google maps directed him to pull off the main highway and take a route that would add another couple of hours to this trip. He ignored the navigator at first, but as he continued the directions were popping on the screen to pull off and detour. He pulled over and looked at the Google map. It was taking him to Noravank in a direction that went around the monastery and brought him to the other side. His intuition and better senses told him to stay on the road.

He arrived at the destination without any problem, but in the last few miles of the trip, Google maps had identified the area as belonging to Azerbaijan! He was being warned that he was entering another country and should detour. In other words, Google defined the borders of Armenia and turned over this land to Azeri hands under its own decision. An unexperienced driver would have gone around for fear of entering hostile territory. Think of all of the research and papers that are written with this faulty information. Think of how much power we have vested corporations such as Google that it has the audacity to define the borders of a country!

We learned of changes made to Saroyan’s writings after his death. Today we see changes made while the country is alive. How careful we must be when listening to words and directions from so-called experts in the field, especially from an info/data giant such as Google.

When someone says this is what Christianity is, or that is what Jesus said, consider the source. Who is giving you this information? What is their motive for telling you? The term “apostolic” by definition means the source of Christianity is the original source, that is, from the Apostles themselves, Jesus’ inner circle. And so the title, Armenian Apostolic Church, is given because Thaddeus and Bartholomew, from Jesus’ inner circle, came to Armenia in the 4th Decade A.D. to spread the Gospel.

We pray, Through the intercession of the Beloved Disciples, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, the first Enlighteners of Armenia, we pray that we be guided by the Spirit to seek truth and peace always. Amen.

Cover Photo: Noravank, 2023 Luna & Gregory Beylerian

Adding to Saroyan

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Adding to Saroyan

One of the great Armenian-American writers of the twentieth century was William Saroyan. He was a novelist, playwright and short story writer, winning a Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award for Best Story for his novel, “The Human Comedy.”

Saroyan was a native of Fresno and his writings gave a colorful picture of life in the Western United States. Saroyan’s stories documented immigrant life in California’s Central Valley, writing about the early community that found haven in America following a genocide which had distributed survivors to the four corners of the globe, thereby defining the Armenian diaspora.

The characters in his story come alive with attributes such as stubbornness, tenacity and the persevering drive to survive.

In Armenian circles, especially in the Diaspora, there is a short paragraph attributed to Saroyan capturing the Armenian spirit that is quoted and recited ad nauseum. It begins, “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, whose literature is unread, whose music is unheard, whose prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy this race…”

This quote has Saroyan concluding with a statement, “When two Armenians meet they create a new Armenia.” In 2020 the William Saroyan House Museum revealed that those words were never stated by Saroyan. Pointing to the actual quote, they further revealed that the words were the wishful thoughts and sentiments of someone who realized those thoughts would carry more weight if attributed to Saroyan. For example, Saroyan wrote, “… Whose prayers are no longer uttered” and not “no longer answered.” There is a difference.

While the gist of the remaining words is about the living-Armenian spirit, I share it today as a reminder to be careful of what is attributed to a person, especially when it comes to matters of Christianity. Just because someone says Jesus said something, that doesn’t make it so. Saroyan passed away in 1981. Imagine in the short time since his death how words are taken from the English language and changed in the English language. Consider, Jesus words were spoken in Aramaic, translated to the Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, and into English some 1300 years after Jesus.

For your consideration, not all that glitters is gold, and not all words attributed to Jesus are his. Read, ask, question and feel.

We pray, Lord, I hear with my ears, I read with my eyes and even my hands, but help me to receive with my heart, the message of Love and Peace that comes from You. Amen.

Read more from the Saroyan House Museum: https://saroyanhouse.com/single/news/39

Alabaster Box with the Umbilical Cord

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Alabaster Box

Now that the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, Asdvadzadzin, has passed I share with you this fascinating story that connects all Christians who are baptized and confirmed in the Armenian Church.

When the Asdvadzadzin passed away, all of the Apostles except for the Apostle Bartholomew were in Jerusalem and attended her funeral service. When Bartholomew returned to Jerusalem and was informed of Mother Mary’s passing, he requested to see the Blessed remains one last time. When they opened her tomb to honor Bartholomew’s request, her body was not there. She was assumed into Heaven by her Son. Hence the word “Assumption” is used to describe Asdvadzadzin’s entrance into Heaven. It differs from the Resurrection, which was a singular event, where in Jesus, on His own power, resurrected. In the case of St. Mary, she was assumed into Heaven.

There is a short apocryphal story which follows. During Jesus’ infancy, scripture tells us many events took place and “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) When Jesus’ umbilical cord fell off, Mary placed it in an alabaster box and kept it with her through the years. When Bartholomew came to pay his respects to Holy Mother’s life, he was given the box, which he kept close to his heart.

In the fourth decade A.D., Bartholomew came to Armenia to preach the Gospel. He was martyred in Armenia for his faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. Before he was executed, he was able pass along the small alabaster box to the members of the underground Church in Armenia. The box and its content, the umbilical cord of our Lord, were secretly kept by the Church until the Conversion of Armenia in the year 301 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator. At that time the box was turned over to Gregory who had ascended to the Apostolic Throne as chief bishop. Gregory consecrated the first batch of Holy Miuron at that time and added the remains of the umbilical cord to the first miuron. This Holy Chrism, which is used for consecration of the faithful, priests, bishops and holy sites, is renewed every seven years. In each new batch, the previous batch is added, meaning there are molecules in the Holy Miuron from the time of Jesus Christ!

This is year there will be a blessing of the Holy Miuron. In the coming episodes we will share the mystery of the Holy Miuron with our listeners.

We pray today, Mary’s Song, referred to as the Magnificat, in Armenian, Medzastzudzeh.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. Amen.

Strength in Humanity

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Power In Humanity

The Beatles’ song, “Let it Be” has a nice and warm spiritual tone to it for a few reasons. The opening chords set the tone of the song. The words of the refrain, “Let it Be” are the definition of the word “Amen.” There are a few references to Mother Mary. She “comes to me” and speaks “words of wisdom” according to the song. The connection with the Blessed Mother is an easy one to make but we find that it is a connection which we infer because of our prejudices. According to the song’s writer, Sir Paul McCartney, this Mother Mary reference is to his own mother, Mary Patricia McCartney, who he lost at an early age. The song is written about a dream in which his mother came to him with words of wisdom.

Our religious prejudices play a large part in how we perceive and interact with the world. Because St. Mary, the Asdvadzadzin is singled out in history to bear the Christ Child, we rightly commemorate her celebrations and feasts by focusing on her holiness. But the strength of St. Mary – as well as all the saints – is in her and their humanity.

Saints, including St. Mary, are not gods. They are not worshipped in the Armenian Church. Rather, they are venerated, that is, they are regarded with great respect and reverence. Because they are human, we can look at them as examples for our life. This is a very important function of saints. As people, they have all the frailties and difficulties that humans have. They had the same temptations and doubts that all of us have. The difference, however, is that they rose from their humanity to touch the divine. It so doing, they give us hope that we too can rise from our humanity and touch or share in the divine realm.

She was asked to bear a Child out of wedlock. The night she gave birth to the Child Jesus, there was no room for her in the inn, or in the world. She witnessed the murder of the innocent. She kept in her heart all the details of Jesus childhood. She was at the Foot of the Cross when the her Son was nailed to a Cross and destroyed by His own creation.

At the feast of Assumption we are invited to reflect on the Blessed Mother Mary, her struggles and challenges and how she overcame each of them to become “Blessed among women.” (Luke 1:42)

We pray from a prayer of the Church, We ask you, Holy Saint Mary, full of glory and birth-giver of God, Asdvadzadzin, to lift up our prayers to your beloved Son that He may forgive our sins. Amen.  

Enter AI – Exciting and Scary

/1 Comment/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Exciting and Scary

At Epostle.net, when we say, Apostolic evangelism for an electronic and expanding universe, it is more than a catch phrase for us, it is our mission. Earlier this year we entered the metaverse with exhibits of the sacred spaces, the monasteries, the khatchkars and prayers of the Armenian Church which have defined civilization. Today, we mark a new day and a new era in Christian evangelism. Today we break the language barriers in sharing the OG Christian message from the ancient Armenian Church – what we have identified as Armodoxy – with a hurting world using the latest tools of artificial intelligence. Today we produce and share videos with the people of the world in their native languages, in French, Russian, Spanish and Korean, with Hindi, German and Chinese being the next languages to follow. While many will stand in awe of the technology our intention is not to showcase those means. The unbridled human spirit will create the tools that will keep us in awe. Ours is to share the unique and necessary message of the power of Love, through Jesus Christ with the world.

Welcome to the new world. It is an exciting and scary place.

This weekend as we commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, we remember that the announcement of her pregnancy was exciting and scary for her, as were the many events in her life, from the angel’s message to the Birth of the Christ Child, to her standing at the foot of the Cross, to her Assumption into Heaven. We take the first steps in this uncharted area of AI, realizing that the first steps will always be scary. At Epostle.net we connect dots from those events 2000 years ago to our lives today, so as not to lose sight of the purpose of the story. The Asdvadzadzin gave birth to God, the Love that overcomes hatred, the Light that illuminates the darkness, the Resurrection that is a victory over every crucifixion.

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt. 13:45-46)

We have found the pearl!

We take this opportunity to congratulate Team Epostle and especially Epostle creative director Gregory Beylerian for his leadership in exploration and development of these tools to spread the message.

We open this new chapter with an invitation to you to explore and share the many resources we have available, especially on the new international languages page. Join us in prayer, “Lord our God, open our hearts and our souls to the wonders of your love. Grant us the courage to seek the Pearl, the Kingdom that is within us and without us. Banish the fear that hinders us from sharing and celebrating the joy of life. Amen.”

Visit Epostle’s International languages page

St. Mary & Grapes

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: St. Mary and the Grape Connection

My grandmother was one of four sisters. She was the oldest. Her name was Marie. Her sister’s names were Lousaper (the Light-bearer), Srpuhi (the Holy One) and Diruhi (The Lady, as in the feminine of Lord). All four sisters had names which were descriptive of St. Mary. No other saint is revered as much as St. Mary by Armenians, and the fact that in one family, four daughters are named after the blessed Mother is a testament to the respect and devotion she has had among the people.

St. Mary is referred to as the Asdvadzadzin which means the bearer of God, referring to her unique position of giving birth to Jesus, the Son of God. While the traditional churches celebrate the Assumption of St. Mary, only the Armenian Church has the unique tradition of the blessing grapes on that day.

My grandmother would recall how the first fruits of the harvest, the best fruits, were taken to the church on that day for a special blessing. The offering of the fruits was a gesture of thanksgiving, thanking God for the blessings He has bestowed upon the people, the temperance of weather, the fertility of the soil and the abundance of sunshine which yields the grapes. In fact, she would add that the townspeople would not eat the fruit of the vine until they were blessed on this day.

One of the reasons given for the connection between St. Mary and the grapes is that grapes can be propagated without seed, alluding to the virgin birth. But the best reason comes from Christ himself who sets up this analogy, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:1-4)

The life of a Christian is completely dependent on an unfaltering connection to Christ himself. Jesus presents the picture of the vine, the branches, and the fruit. And the operative is God the Father who prunes the branches. Just as the soil, weather and sunlight are necessary for delicious and juicy grapes, so too, our connection to Jesus the Vine is necessary for our lives to be flavorful and beautiful.

The grape blessing service is a call to productivity. God gives us a world and we are the stewards of this beautiful life. Armodoxy attests that Christianity is not an escape from this world to another but a realization that in this world we – us – are the agents to make God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

From the grape blessing prayer that is offered on the feast of Assumption, Bless, O Lord, the grapes. May we enjoy that which You have created in this world and grant that we may be worthy to eat and drink with You from the bounty of Your most fruitful vine at the table of Your Father’s Kingdom, according to the just promise which You made, to the honor and glory of Your coexisting Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the most Holy Spirit to whom is due glory, power, and honor, now and forever. Amen.

And it doesn’t end here…

Mary Yes Needed Today

/0 Comments/in ,

Armodoxy for Today: Mary’s Yes Needed Today

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the first of all the saints in the Church. In the Armenian Church she is referred to the Asdvadzadzin (= Bearer of God) or Asdvadzamayr (= Mother of God). These titles tell us more about the primacy of Jesus Christ in our Faith, than they do about Mary, but they point to the reverence with which we must approach the Blessed Mother.

Unique in the Christian story, Mary is chosen by God to bear the Christ Child. We encounter Mary in the Scriptures at the Conception, the Birth, in the adolescent period of Jesus and finally at the Crucifixion, at the foot of the Cross watching as her child is beaten, tortured and killed by the same humanity for which he came to save. Mary is the only witness, according to Scripture, of Jesus’ life from “cradle to grave.” Though it may be possible that Joseph lived as long, there are no details of his life beyond the story of Jesus at age 12. (Luke 2:41-49).

While much has been said and written throughout the centuries about Mother Mary, her story is a simple one which takes place in the first two chapters of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke. Even more, the simplicity of Mary’s story can be summarized in one word: Yes! Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is revered and set apart from all the saints because of a simple and courageous “Yes” that she said to God’s invitation.

We read in the Gospel narrative that when the angel announced to her that she would be with child, Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

Mary’s “Yes” to the angel is simple and eloquent, yet powerful. It seems to have flowed off of her tongue yet took the courage of a lifetime to utter. Mind you, we’re talking about 2000 years ago, in the Middle East. This story is not in 21st century USA. The sentence for unwedded pregnancy was death by stoning, not to mention the humiliation, dishonor and stigma it cast on your family. The pressure, both real and psychological to say “No” was great, and so the value of that “Yes” was beyond measure. And so it was that her “Yes” changed the course of human history, for unto her a child was born who is the Son of God.

Now, invite Mary’s action to your 21st century life. Every day and every moment we are asked to bring Christ into this world. Christ is the incarnation of love. By loving, caring, being empathetic to the needs of others, we are bringing Christ into this world, we are saying “Yes” to God. It’s as simple as that and the level of difficulty to do so, is up to us. Armodoxy is a testament to a people who have chosen to bear Christ to the world. It has not been easy, but the reward has been great. Every Armenian Church altar bears the image of St. Mary presenting, offering, Jesus Christ, Love to the world. Every altar is a reminder that this “Yes” changes human history.

We pray, “Lord, Jesus Christ, your holy mother said yes to the invitation to bear you and present you to the world. You came into a world of darkness and brought light, into a world of hate and preached love. I say Yes today, to bring light and love to a hurting world. Shine in my life, move me in the paths of your love, always. Amen.”