Andrew the First Called

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Armodoxy for Today – Andrew, the First

Saints come in all shapes and sizes. That might sound like an odd way to bring attention to the elite class of the Church, but each saint has a unique story that helps us in our Christian journey through life.

Andrew was the first-called disciple of Christ, in Armenian he’s referred to as Nakhagoch. He was the one who accepted the call of Jesus. Throughout Scripture we read that he invited others to follow, most notably is his older brother, Peter, who went on to be the Apostle to, and the first Bishop of Rome.

Being the first takes a special and deep courage which is connected to inner strength but also to a commitment and belief that what you are following is absolutely and positively the correct path.

This weekend the Armenian Church celebrates St. Andrew Nakhagoch Disciple and Apostle of Christ, the first link on a movement that has changed the world.

Praying from the Book of Hours of the Armenian Church, With your Light, O Christ, we have all been enlightened, and in Your Holy Cross, O Savior, we take refuge. By the intercession of the Holy Apostle Andrew, hear us, O God our Savior, grant us peace, and show us Your mercy, Good Lord. Amen.

Pictured: St. Andrew icon on Ghazanchetsots before the Azeris destroyed and desecrated the image.

Nektarios-God within

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Armodoxy for Today: Inside and Out

St. Nektarios, venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, directs us to “Seek God in your heart, not outside of it.”

The world is a big place. From mountain tops to ocean floors, the vastness can be overwhelming. In our attempts to engage with life and our passions, we may fall victim to that vastness, preventing us from fully exploring all that life has to offer.

God is the author of all. Seeking God within, that is, in the heart, is the starting point of all exploration because you are assured of being equipped with the necessary tools to appreciate the deepest and highest points of life.

Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Today’s one minute for standard time.

Child’s Hope (Yet)

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Armodoxy for Today: Child’s Hope

I had an interesting conversation with a young girl the other day, about the number of fingers on certain drawings. This 10-year-old had come with her mother to volunteer for the food distribution at the shelter. She had brought with her some paints and brushes for the kids there and we began to discuss the intricacies of drawing the human hand. I noted that cartoon characters have four fingers, and she was quick to one better me, by telling me about a character who had three fingers on his hand.

I asked who was the character? She answered, “It’s science fiction. It’s not real, yet.”

Indeed, that “yet” implied hope and faith in the future.  That “yet” is what keeps people dreaming, believing, and creating.

We haven’t visited another planet yet. They haven’t discovered the cure, yet.

Our world hasn’t achieved peace, yet. Dream, believe and create. Today’s one-minute for standard time.

“Out of the mouth of babes hast thou ordained strength,” cites Jesus. (Matthew 21:16)

Chiastic Love

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Armodoxy for Today: Chiastic Love

A chiasmus is a literary form as old as recorded civilization. It is defined as a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases. For instance, sayings such as, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say” or on the lighter side, “Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.”

St. Augustine appealed to the chiasmus form when he said, “The measure of love is to love without measure.”

Loving without measure is one of the hallmarks of Christianity. Love without limits allows us to understand all the other teachings of Jesus, such as charity, forgiveness or humility, as the challenge to be Christ-like.

The measure of love is to love without measure. Today’s one minute for standard time.

Cover: Envato Elements

Birthing Rooms

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Armodoxy for Today: Birthing Rooms

A foxhole is a hole in the ground used by soldiers as shelter against enemy fire. It’s been said that there are no atheists in foxholes. It’s an aphorism to suggest that in times of extreme fear or threat of death people will appeal to a higher power. In other words, when looking in the face of death, even the atheist will admit to a God.

Many years ago, I discovered another place where there are no atheists. The night my first child was born, it occurred to me that there aren’t any atheists in birthing rooms, either. When looking in the face of life, in its most delicate and novel state, you realize that the loss of your emotions is a connection to something greater than yourself. The details of fingernails that are thinner than paper point to life as anything but an accident.

I tested the theory a couple of times after that first experience. Same conclusion: There are no atheists in birthing rooms.

Today’s one minute for standard time.

Charming Children

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Armodoxy for Today: Charming children

Yeghishé Charents was the main Armenian poet of the 20th century. He lived and wrote his creations following World War I, the Genocide and into the years of communism in Armenia, and was imprisoned for political reasons. In that gloominess, his poetry reflected the beauty around him, in a small area of land called Armenia.

Charents wrote, “All my life, my impossible aim was to finish a song to charm children.” He wrote these lines on a handkerchief to his friend and fellow poet, Avetik Isahakyan, after hearing a prisoner sing one of Isahakyan’s songs in a neighboring cell.

“Charming children” in the midst of ugliness is more than swelling with optimism or staying positive, it’s recognizing the importance of new life and passing along hope.

Hum the song of the new day to the words that speak to your heart.

Today’s one minute for standard time.

Addendum: The above verses continue with “just as all hearts quicken with the tempo of yours.”

Cover: Children outside the cave, 2023, Fr. Vazken

The Deal

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Armodoxy for Today: The Deal

Likening life to a game of cards, French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire observes, “Each player must accept the cards that life deals him or her. But once in hand one must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”

The trick is to take control of what has been entrusted to you. Whether a simple game of cards or a complex life, looking back at the shuffle is a waste of time. Thank God that your eyes are in front of your head and not looking back. Celebrate what you have and take charge of those tools and talents to make a difference. Find the aces or your strongest talents. Play them to the best of your ability.

Today’s one minute for standard time.

Cover: St. Anna & Gatoghikeh in Yerevan. Photo by Gregory Beylerian