St. Andrew – the First Called – Key Message

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Parish Priest’s Message from the “Key” Newsletter* –18 November 2012

http://armenianchurchyouthministries.org/newsletter/The%20Key%20-%20111812.pdf

 

St. Andrew the Apostle – the First Called   

Being the first at anything takes courage. To be the first means you’ve rejected some element of the status quo and have tried a new venture.
 
      Change. Rejecting the status quo. Seeking something new. Revolution. These are all greeted with some of the greatest resistance ever encountered. Albert Einstein reminds us,  “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
 
      It takes inner fortitude, it takes confidence in your purpose and goal, it takes a “great spirit” to be the first at anything.  St. Andrew the Apostle, whose feast the Armenian Church celebrated yesterday, had this “great spirit.” In fact, he needed it. He was the first-called “Nakhagoch” disciple of Christ. He heard the CALL of Christ. It spoke to his heart and he was never the same. Although he was ridiculed and criticized for following Jesus, he stuck to his principles and became the first of the 12 and therefore he is the first of over a billion Christians on the planet today.
 
     St. Andrew teaches us the importance of following your heart. St. Andrew sought and found the Prize. In our ministry, St. Andrew the Apostle plays a very important role, because we’re bucking the system, we’re setting the pace for what Armenian Orthodoxy should be. Advent is in front of us and once again we will be challenging our faith by living the expressions of Love. Stay committed, even in the face of opposition.
   Life comes around only but once. Take the time to “seek and you shall find,” says our Lord Jesus Christ.  And when you discover that Truth, believe in it enough to put away comforts. Take the risk. It’s worth it, teaches us St. Andrew.
     – Fr. Vazken

 

*The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church, Glendale, CA – Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)  At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…

Have fun at Halloween – Fr. Vazken’s Key Message 10/28/12

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Parish Priest’s Message from the “Key” Newsletter* –28 October 2012

           Every year around this time, someone (usually concerned and caring parents) will ask me, is it okay to celebrate Halloween? Many times they ask with a sense of expectation that their priest will condemn the tradition and then they’re off the hook with their children’s wish to trick-or-treat. There is also a sense of confusion that comes from the outward celebration of Halloween – skeletons, witches, devils – you can understand why people ask their priest about the holiday. So in a nutshell, let me offer some answers from the Church’s point of view – an Armodoxy perspective, if you will…
            First, the celebration of Halloween is driven by profits. There’s a lot of money in candy (and cavities), costumes, ornaments and everything that goes with the celebration. That being said, I think it’s important to celebrate Halloween and here’s why: It’s a fun day. We, especially our kids need to have fun and feel like kids more often. Halloween gives us all that opportunity.
   Halloween is actually a Church feast. It’s the eve of All Saints Day, or “Hallow’s Day.” Say “Hallow’s Eve” fast and you get “Halloween.” In the West it’s celebrated on Oct 31. For the Armenian Church, All Saints Day is a Saturday in November and so the eve is a Friday night.

My suggestion to parents: Enjoy the feast! Have your children dress up as the saints this Halloween – Vartan (warrior), Ashkhen (Queen), Shnorhali (a cool priest), etc. Let them enjoy childhood fantasies and have fun. There’s plenty of time to grow up. Meanwhile, some of the “grown ups” would do well to let loose, take a deep breath and enjoy life with childish wonder and excitement. Happy Halloween.    -Fr. Vazken
 
*The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church, Glendale, CA – Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)  At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…

Evil Again in Hungary, Azerbaijan and Around Us – “Key” article”

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This past week evil once again lifted its head in front of the Armenian people in the form of a hate-crime. When a convicted axe-murderer was returned to Azerbaijan by the Hungarian government, he was granted a heroes welcome. His crime? Killing an Armenian — in his sleep, no less! To the Azerbaijanis, this was an act of heroism… (and a way to fan the flames of hate.)

An even worse evil raises its head now, in the missing response to this hate-crime. The US State Department commented briefly but it is obvious that the Armenians are too small of a population over which to strain relations with the heavyweights of the world.

Fortunately, our Armenian Church leadership spoke up dramatically on this issue. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, loudly protested and called on religious leaders to voice their disgust for this type of hate-rally. Our Primate, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian wrote a very strong letter of protest to the Hungarian government. (These documents can — and should be — read on the Diocesan website: ArmenianChurchWD.com.)

As you know, part of the unique character of our parish is the In His Shoes philosophy which focuses on these crimes, not only against Armenians, but against humanity and offers a true Christian response. It’s not the “wet-noodle” response people expect, but one of courage and activism. If we expect others to note the pain of Armenians, we Armenians must champion the causes of others, no matter where and who they are. I invite you to listen to our broadcasts this week – both the “Next Step” and “In Step with Christ” which focused on this crime and our—the Christian response.
-Fr. Vazken
Listen/watch at Epostle.net

This appeared in the Key 9/9/12: http://armenianchurchyouthministries.org/newsletter/The%20Key%20-%20090912.pdf

Fr. Vazken’s “Key” message -Feeding of the 5,000+ 7/8/12

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      In today’s Gospel passage we read the story of Jesus multiplying the fish and loaves. (Matthew 14). It is one of the miracles of Jesus which has all the trappings of the miracle genre. That is, its big and spectacular—Jesus feeds 10,000+ people with a few scraps of food! Scripture says 5,000 men were fed, not counting the women and children. So we can extrapolate a number in the five digits. And for those who want to pass it off to a spiritual feed, consider that scripture notes that they picked up 12 baskets of leftovers, just to be sure that it was a multiplication of tangible food. The miracle is supernatural and therefore demonstrates Jesus’ divinity.

To me, the real message comes to us in the lines that follow the story. There we read that after the miracle, Jesus “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Here is the REAL unusual part of the story, because this was a time for Jesus when everything was going right. He was at the height of his popularity. He had thousands following him. He was healing the sick. He just performed this miracle and fed the people to their heart’s (stomach’s) content. And now, he takes time to withdraw and pray.
Unfortunately, for many of us, we find it necessary to pray during our difficulties, when we’re lonely and when we’re not succeeding. In the message today, we see that Jesus finds the time to RETREAT and to PRAY, when all is going well. What a beautiful example our Lord sets up for all of us. During this Summer season, take some time off for real re-creation. Retreat, pray and meditate. 
– Fr. Vazken
http://armenianchurchyouthministries.org/newsletter/The%20Key%20-%20070812.pdf

Fr. Vazken’s 4th of July Key Message

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Although the Fourth of July is neither a religious holiday, nor an Armenian one, I wish to share with you some thoughts on the occasion of Independence Day. In fact, the concept of freedom and independence are among the highest ideals and goals of all true religions. It is therefore important that as people of faith we seriously contemplate the freedoms that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted.
Signed on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  With these words the United States declared its independence from England and for the past 236 years, we have struggled to identify, define and clarify these terms.
Freedom is not a physical state of being but rather a spiritual one. Real freedom is not built on a decree of a government, but begins from within the individual. You cannot fight for freedom with guns and weapons. You have to win it through the discipline of your soul. Every Sunday, during our Divine Liturgy we pray for the deliverance of those who are held captive. That prayer should also be said for us. We are the ones who are captive to sin, to the greed, to the lust for power. So long as those obstacles stand in our way, we can never attain true freedom and therefore we can never maximize the true potential within us.
– Fr. Vazken

Fathers, Roles and Family – Fathers’ Day 2012

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Parish Priest’s Message from the “Key” Newsletter – 17 June 2012
                                                                                                               
It’s disheartening when we see how the role of father has deteriorated into something silly and even superfluous in society today. Television has done a good job of documenting the decline. People in my generation will remember Jim Anderson and Ward Cleaver who were the fathers who new best. A generation later, Archie Bunker was bigoted enough that you wanted to rid your house of him. Of course, Cosby was a fun dad, but was he necessary to the family? Murphy Brown had her child without the need of a father, and Homer Simpson threw fatherhood out with the bathwater.
 
Of course, art mimics reality. The family structure has changed; fatherhood has become an extra variable rather than a necessary constant in the family equation.
 
Traditionally, in the Armenian Christian family, mother and father have come together to raise children. In this model of parenting, father and mother compliment one another. Neither is dominant or submissive to the other. But for this model to work, Christ needs to be at the center of that family unit for “we are all one in Christ, Jesus.” It is for this reason the Armenian family is established as a sacrament called “Unity in Christ.”
 
 Last year, when the “Oprah Winfrey show ended it’s run of 25 years she was asked to what she attributed her success? Her answer: “My staff and Jesus.” She had the same formula our Church has had for 2000 years.
 
On this Fathers’ Day, my prayer is that we rededicate our family to Christ-centeredness. May Christ’s presence guide fathers and mothers in their God-ordained role to create vibrant and lively Christian families, filled with goodness always. – Fr. Vazken
*The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church, Glendale, CA – Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)  At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…
 archived:

Post-Genocide “Key” Message

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Parish Priest’s Message from “The Key” – 29 April 2012
 
   This Sunday is a stop between two travels. Last week, we remembered the 1.5 million martyrs of the 1915 Genocide with commemoration events that took us to different places, primarily three college campuses: UCLA, USC and UCSB. At each of these stops we talked about our obligation and responsibility as Genocide survivors to speak out against injustice everywhere. If you haven’t done so yet, check out the videos at InHisShoes.org or our Facebook page. 
We were very encouraged by the response of the students. It reminded us about the original mission and charter we had as a parish, to be a youth ministry.
  The second part of our travels takes place this week as we head out to Arizona to participate in the Annual Diocesan Assembly, held at the St. Apkar church there. It’s a difficult transition for us to make. There we will be reminded of the backward thinking that dismantled much of our efforts here as a youth ministry. It’s not just the mentality that is so prominent, but it’s hearing about and seeing a church that is missing its calling as a Body of Christ and missing its potential.
   Thankfully our inspiration comes from the sacrifice of the Martyrs and the Resurrection of our People, both grounded in the promise of Jesus Christ. From that, I know, that wherever our travels take us, we have one mission and one focus. I ask for your prayers. Pray for our Church –  our church on the corner and the greater Armenian Church.
 
– Fr. Vazken
The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church in Glendale, California. Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”   Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)   At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…

Conundrum of April

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Parish Priest’s Message from “The Key”* – 22 April 2012
It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? We just celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ a couple of weeks ago. Priests stood up from the altar area of all the Armenian Churches in the world the news was heralded, “Christ has Risen!” I know I did. And now, just weeks later, from the same altar areas we’re talking about death, evil and the ultimate expression of darkness, Genocide! 
Today we commemorate the 1.5 Million Armenians who perished at the hands of the Turks in 1915.
Since that time, there have been many geno-cides. Strange, isn’t’ it? We think we’re living in such advanced and modern times, yet we still resort to barbaric forms conflict resolution! Since the Armenian Genocide, there have been the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda, just to name a few where the words “ethnic cleansing” are used. And today, there is the Genocide in Darfur!
We as Armenians KNOW the meaning of pain and suffering. We KNOW crucifixion. But we also KNOW resurrection, and as such we need to be equal witnesses to Crucifixion AND Resurrection. This is why, at our church, our efforts and our attention is not only on the past, but on the present. We’re calling for justices through-out the world through our In His Shoes Ministries. I thank you, as parishioners and parish administrators, for adopting this stand. We’re living out Christ’s commandment to be the LIGHT in the world. 
~ Fr. Vazken
To hear the entire message of the day listen to Next Step Episode #202 at www.epostle.net
 
*The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church in Glendale, California. Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”   Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)   At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…
 

A Blessed Fate of the Blessed Curtain

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Guest editorial in the “Key” Newsletter – April 15, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Zaven Archpriest Arzoumanian

During the Holy Week as we sang heartfelt melodies at St. Peter Armenian Church in Glendale, we read in between Gospel pas-sages regarding the last days of Our Lord on earth before His Crucifixion. “The curtain of the Jerusalem Temple was rent into two from top to the bottom” at the time Christ was crucified, as said in the Gospels. An amazing sign had its blessed echo in this lively church of St. Peter, headed by its Pastor the Reverend Father Vazken Movsesian.

The church was packed on Palm Sunday, and before his sermon the Pastor announced quietly that the large and heavy curtain of the Holy Altar, ten years already in use, was to be replaced by a new curtain, donated by a faithful. We figured at least a couple of months needed before the replacement. 
 
Two days later, on Holy Tuesday, while the Primate was presiding over the Ten Virgins ceremony, the new curtain was already in place and the dedication took place the same evening, again very quietly. We were amazed! A pair of large size gold-laced Armenian-style Crosses graced the new curtain. The old curtain was folded properly and laid on the side of the lower step of the Holy Altar.

Remember the curtain in the Jerusalem Temple was rent INTO TWO. So far at St. Peter one part of the story became a blessed reality: the curtain is hanging gracefully, naturally looking brighter than the old. But the real story stems from the other part of the Jerusalem’s Curtain: What to do with the old curtain that had absorbed sweet incense every week for ten years along with the fervent prayers of the faithful?
Ordinarily anything old replaced by new is quietly discarded. But not when it comes to the genius attention of Father Vazken Movsesian, an outstanding and caring priest of the Western Diocese, as well as the hard working Pastor of St. Peter parish for the past decade. This is what we heard him announcing on Easter Sunday as I was the Celebrant and waiting to deliver the sermon upon his kind invitation.
“Tomorrow according to our Church Calendar is a Memorial Day. There will be a Requiem Service for all our beloved departed souls. Following the service I will ask the ladies of this parish to come equipped with scissors to cut the old curtain most carefully to fit each part as a single blanket to be distributed to the homeless and to the poor.”
What a blessed fate to a curtain that remained faithfully hanging before the Holy Altar of Christ, His Cross indeed! From now on the poor will continue praying for them and for us. Our prayers shall meet wherever the blankets reach. Good for you and thank you Father Vazken our Brother in Christ.

Palm Sunday – “Key” Message 2012

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Parish Priest’s Message from the “Key” Newsletter – 1 April 2012
 
I congratulate all of our faithful people who completed the Lenten period successfully. Through your vigilance, you have opened your hearts and spirits to Christ’s unfailing love. Today, Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. You are a participant in that victory through Lent and today Jesus enters your hearts and lives in a very special manner. Congratulations! 
 
Today begins one of the most sacred periods in Christianity. It marks the journey of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he enters the Holy City of Jerusalem, is betrayed, face and be convicted false accusations and charges. He is condemned to death, crucified and buried. Of course, we know how the story ends, with the glorious Resurrection next Sunday. But in the meantime, the journey to the cross is a spiritual journey that we are invited to take through Holy Week. It is our way of “walking with Christ” through His trials, passion and crucifixion.
 
In the Armenian Church we not only commemorate these days with services, but we invite people to participate in the walk to the cross. Each of our services have opportunities for participation. During the 10 maid-ens young kids hold candles as described in Matthew 25; at “feet washing” we participate as described in John 13; and at the burial we walk below the grave. Please follow the Easter Week Schedule we’ve provided and participate in one of the most beautiful week’s services. ~ Fr. Vazken
The “Key” is the weekly newsletter of the St. Peter Armenian Church, Glendale, CA – Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  Peter responded “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus promised the Keys to the Kingdom for this profession of faith. (Mt 16)  At the St. Peter, Glendale Parish, our faith and actions are based on that same profession of faith. It is the Key that opens the doors to our journey as Christians…