Next Step with Fr. Vazken, The Turn-it-off Solution, #806 – September 21, 2025
Freedom, Independence and Speech in America on the anniversary of Armenian Independence. Step-by-step instructions on how to turn off what you reject. Checks and balances. Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death, Palestinian death. Editorial perogative. Varakakhatch coming up: The Stones will speak, they did and do in Varak. Rallying around the Shnorhali formula of Unity in Essentials. Epostle.net – for all of our programs and announcements Fast & Pray App
Music to share: Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for Epostle.net Subscribe and listen on demand on better pod-catchers everywhere.
We’re on Pandora, Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Remember to sign up for our Newsletter at Epostle.net
Armodoxy for Today: The Road to the Center of Light – a five-part mini-series of daily messages dedicated to this special week in the life of the Armenian Church. Five days, five inspirations, five sparks that connect to shine the Christ Light.
Day 5: Holy Etchmiadzin: The final day of the week-long celebration of Armenia’s Conversion is the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin. The hymn of Holy Etchmiadzin, includes the phrase, “Come, let us build the altar of Light.”
With the Conversion of Armenia, “The true Light which gives light to every man,” (John 1:9) lit up Armenia. Gregory and Tirtad, hand-in-hand, church-and-state, came together to spread the Gospel among the people. In a vision, Gregory saw Jesus Christ descend from heaven, pointing to four points, defining an area with a golden hammer. This is where the first Cathedral in all of Christendom was constructed. The word “Etchmiadzin” defines his vision, literally meaning the “Descent of the Only Begotten.
The week-long celebration, with the feasts of Saints Hripsimé, Gayané and Gregory, is capped with the proclamation that the Only Begotten Son of God, descended from heaven and became the Light which enlightened the Armenian soul. Throughout Armenia today, thousands of pilgrims converge on the monasteries of Hripsimé, Gayané and Khor-Virab, to commune with the essence of this story. But early on in Armenian Church history, the pattern of celebration was instilled because the Christ Light had transformed the people. It was only 100 years later that the Church in Armenia commission the translation of the Holy Scriptures. For this task, a monk named Mesrob Mashdots invented the Armenian alphabet. With that alphabet the entire Bible was translated in a manner that is considered the “Queen of Translations” by Biblical Scholars. And subsequently the Armenian nation enjoyed a golden age of literature. Culture and education was the hallmark of this period, thanks to the Church.
Only 150 years after the Conversion, Armenia was forced into a war because of their commitment to Jesus Christ. The Battle of Vartanants is considered the first battle for the freedom of worship of Christianity in history. As a result, Christianity spread like wildfire. It wasn’t the last time Armenians stood up for their faith. They have been persecuted to the point of even Genocide and continue to be, because they carried the label, “Christian.” Jesus invited us saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” That cross has been a heavy one for the Armenian people, but it has been its salvation. Abp. Hovnan Derderian has said, “Because of Holy Etchmiadzin, our presence as a nation and as a people is secure.”
Many try to dispose of the cross opting for the comforts of this world. Tragically, what they sacrifice is the fullness of life and the luster that comes from the Light.
His Holiness Karekin I, of blessed memory, once proclaimed “Etchmiadzin is Mission” and in that simple statement set a direction for us, every one of us, who comes in contact with the story. Like all of the history we communicate through Epostle, the story you heard in the mini-series, Etchmiadzin finds its true value when we connect to it with our life. The mission is ours, to proclaim the importance of Light amid the darkness. With wars, hatred, intolerance all around us, the Armenian story of Etchmiadzin gives the world a spark of hope, kindled by strength, fanned by difficulties, but grounded and lit in Jesus Christ.
This Sunday is the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin. Let us pray, O Lord, Jesus Christ, you touched us with the humblest of your messengers, a young girl who said, “No” to the great and powerful. In returned a nation and people discovered the True Light. You came into darkness, into the lives of people who weaved a tapestry of love, compassion, tolerance, patience, healing and resurrection. May we be a reflection of that Light, in all that we do. Guide us, O Lord, in the paths that promote love, compassion, tolerance and healing, so that we may be worthy of the blessing of the Peacemaker. In all things we thank and glorify you, along with the Father and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Cover: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/etchmiadzin_Cathedral_photographs_by_gregory_beylerian-46.jpg7501000Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-06-20 00:01:512025-06-16 12:07:34Etchmiadzin, Altar of Light – Part 5 of 5
Gala Danilova, a refugee from Artsakh (Nagorna-Karabakh) discusses the process of exile from their home, and how to balance the feelings of hatred and sorrow with the power of love. Interviewed March 31, 2025, Yerevan, Armenia by Fr. Vazken Movsesian The protest in Yerevan took place right after this interview. Camera, Edited and Produced by Gregory Beylerian
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/interview_with_gala_artsakh_refugee.jpg10801920Gregoryhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngGregory2025-06-05 14:33:012025-06-17 20:04:39When I started to cry for Artsakh | Interview with Gala Danilova
This morning I woke up to the news of Pope Francis’ passing. Thoughts of him at Sunday’s Easter Mass quickly came to my mind. I heard about the Vatican Easter service on my car radio. I was on a long-drive home from the Coachella Valley, where I had celebrated the Easter Liturgy at the St. Garabed Armenian Church.
News of the Vatican service kept me focused on the day’s message of resurrection. The news item was clear that the Pope attended the Easter Mass though the celebrant was one of the Cardinals, the Pope’s representative. The Pope was struggling with health issues and even though his doctors recommended that he get plenty of rest, he did not want to (could not) stay away from the Easter Mass.
Following the service, from his wheelchair, he offered his Easter message. True and consistent to himself and his vows as a priest, he remembered the poor and the marginalized. For my ears, his call for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan was a call that only someone with true commitment and compassion for the cause of peace would dare to reiterate as often as he did.
And now, this morning I was hit by the reality that this voice for peace and compassion had gone silent.
He went out of this life the way he lived it, as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, proclaiming the Resurrection. Neil Young has a line that I especially appreciate, “It’s better to burn out than it is to rust.” The Pope voice would never have rusted.
Back in 2016, Pope Francis visited Armenia in what was billed as “Pilgrimage to the First Christian Nation.” There was a small graphic-patch that was used as an icon on all the broadcasts, a drawing depicting the back of Pope Francis’ and Catholicos Karekin II’s heads. I’ve included it as the cover of today’s message. At the time, on my podcast I referred to their meeting as two brothers reuniting. St. Peter and St. Thaddeus, both lived and breathed with our Lord Jesus Christ. They both were witnesses to the Resurrection. Both of them carried the message of Resurrection to new lands, Peter to Rome and Thaddeus to Armenia. Two thousand years later, their successors, the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ararat, had embraced as brothers.
Pope Francis’ legacy is a great one. He touched people on many levels as he did the soul of this priest. We will continue with more reflections in the days to come. Today, we join our voice with the millions throughout the world in praying for his soul but also praying for the echo of his voice in our world.
O Christ, Son of God, forbearing and compassionate, have mercy upon the soul of Your servant Francis. Be mindful of him on the great day of the coming of Your Kingdom. Number and glorify him in the company of your saints at Your right hand. For you are Lord and Creator of all, judge of the living and the dead. To you is befitting glory and honor. Amen
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Karekin-Francis-690.png-e1745293292383.jpg8931125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-22 00:01:202025-04-22 01:57:23Pope Francis, Another Brother
Armenia is surrounded by hostile neighbors. One wonders, what is life like under the imminent danger of attack and war? We know that existential threats, that is the possibility of extinction of a country and people, is a reality in many parts of the world.
In Armenia, you’ll find a very healthy family life, with young kids playing carefree on the streets to a late hour. The streets are literally filled with life. This is not a cliché but a reality that can be witnessed any night of the week.
We sat in the courtyard of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral in Yerevan. From one side a young man was playing with a drone, piloting it in and through the arms and legs of a 70 foot bronze statue of a horse with St. Vartan Mamikonian riding it. From the other side of the park, young people with arms locked, were laughing about some inside joke. A group of tourists joined the fun by picking up ice cream cones from the local vendor, licking away at vanilla and chocolate swirls. In a skatepark, skaters and razor-riders dared each other with a beautiful display of riding that looked almost as if it were choregraphed.
To borrow a phrase from Ian Anderson, “Skating away on the thin ice of a new day…”
Parents at a distant, confident that their children are fine and safe enjoy one another’s company.
For us, from the United States, we can’t even imagine a similar scenario in America today. Oh, yes, there was a time when carefree went hand-in-hand with youth, but those days are deposited in our memories and sometimes they are jarred from those forgotten spots by a scene from a movie or a shared story. Today fear from within has paralyzed society from enjoying these simple moments, begging the question, what is the difference here or there? Do we not also face imminent danger? Random shooters, child theft and trafficking are the counterparts to planned attack and war. One enemy is the known – we know his whereabout, we see him – while the other enemy is a random occurrence, with the variables of person, place and time unknown. Both elicit fear and pose a threat to life.
The prayer of St. Nersess Shnorhali, from the 15th hour comes to us, Christ, guardian of all, may your right hand protect and shelter me by day and by night, while at home and while away, while asleep and while awake, so I may never fall. Have mercy on all your creatures. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_5944-scaled.jpeg19202560Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-06-24 00:01:192024-06-23 22:25:25Kid’s Play: Threats and Safety
In stark contrast to the wonderful and joyous hospitality you’ll be extended as a tourist in Armenia, is your first encounter with its people, at the small passport control booth as you exit the plane and enter the country. This passport official in that small booth is not interested in chit-chat or idle conversation. Just the facts. A quick look up-and-down, and a few back-and-forths at the documents, and then relief! They have stamped your passport and so you enter into this amazing land of enchantment, dreams and surprises. And the first surprise is in the document that you hold, in your newly stamped passport!
You look at the stamp, that identifies the date of your entry and directly at the top of the stamp is a drawing of a mountain with two peaks, one small and one large. For me, and I assume for many Armenians who have grown up with the double peaks, its recognized as the symbol of the Biblical Mount Ararat. In fact, its so recognizable to Armenians that the element of surprise might escape you.
Mount Ararat is identified in the Bible, Genesis 8:4, as the resting place of Noah’s Ark following the great flood. Whereas Genesis 2:10 locates the Garden of Eden in Armenia, we discover that the second change for the cradle of civilization is once again in Armenia at Mount Ararat.
Armenians are described as the people who inhabit the land at the base of Mount Ararat. Politics being what they are, has the mountain within the borders of Turkey today, but it is the Armenian mountain, so much so, that on this legal document, on this internationally recognized and accepted passport, the symbol of the country is Mount Ararat. Surprised? The root of both the mountain and the people is the same, the “Ar,” just as it is for everything that is essential, such as the sun, “arev.”
Poet Yeghishe Charents proclaims, travel around the world and there is no peek such as Ararat. I’ve been to both sides of Mount Ararat. When seen from the other side, the majesty of the peaks is just not there. Viewed from Yerevan, Armenia, Mount Ararat is overwhelming and grand, like a mother forever present in the life of her children, witnessing the struggles, the pains, the joys and triumphs they experience.
Ararat sets the tone for the journey through this sacred and inspiring land. Here is a small area, occupied by a people who sit at the crossroads of three continents, who have been trampled and bullied by invaders and barbarians. And yet, with no military strategy that weighs on the world theater, this group of people continue to live and prosper, based on a Biblical game-plan, not of floods and disasters, but of resurrection. Armodoxy, brings that game-plan to our lives today. We begin with a visit to this holy land.
For today, we conclude with Psalm 36, “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgements are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
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
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Charming-Children-Cover.jpg10871041Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2023-11-08 00:01:502025-06-17 22:20:32Charming Children
Next Step #765 – Michael Goorjian, filmmaker, Emmy award Actor, Director interviewed about his latest film, Amerikatsi. Listen in on a conversation about the movie, acting/directing, life, purpose and much more.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/NS765_cover.jpg11511147Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2023-02-10 17:50:512023-04-24 12:28:37Looking Out: Interview with Michael Goorjian
